FINAL PERFORMANCE REPORT

Federal Aid Grant No. F13AF01060 (T-65-1)

Wildlife Diversity Inventory on Oklahoma Wildlife Management

Areas with Emphasis on Species of Greatest Conservation Need

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Report Period: October 1, 2013 – September 30, 2018

FINAL PERFORMANCE REPORT

STATE: Oklahoma GRANT NUMBER: F13AF01060 (T-65-1)

GRANT TYPE: State Wildlife Grants

GRANT TITLE: Wildlife Diversity Inventory on Oklahoma Wildlife Management Areas with Emphasis

on Species of Greatest Conservation Need

GRANT PERIOD: October 1, 2013 – September 30, 2018

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS:

Mark Howery, Oklahoma Dept. of Wildlife Conservation

Curtis Tackett, Oklahoma Dept. of Wildlife Conservation

Matt Fullerton, Oklahoma Dept. of Wildlife Conservation

Jena Donnell, Oklahoma Dept. of Wildlife Conservation

ABSTRACT:

Between 2014 and 2018, we conducted biological inventories for nongame wildlife on six Oklahoma

Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) wildlife management areas (WMA) with an emphasis on

species of greatest conservation need (SGCN). Each inventory was conducted through a series of surveys

that targeted specific taxonomic groups during the season(s) in which they were most active and

efficiently detected. All surveys were conducted by the staff of the ODWC’s Wildlife Diversity Program

in collaboration with the biologists and technicians stationed at those WMAs. On Cross Timbers WMA,

we documented 176 vertebrate species including 9 SGCN; on Cookson WMA we documented 157

vertebrate species and 15 SGCN; on Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMAs we documented 173 vertebrate species

including 17 SGCN, and on Cimarron Hills/Cimarron Bluff WMAs we documented 139 species and 18

SGCN. We recorded the number of individuals seen to approximate each species’ relative abundance,

and for many species we recorded location of each individual and the general habitat type in which it was

found. We documented the survey techniques used in the inventory for each taxonomic group, and the

level of survey effort (e.g. number of search hours, trap nights, or point-counts) so that these inventories

could be repeated in the future to monitor the wildlife communities on these areas.

INTRODUCTION:

Public conservation lands provide many of the best opportunities to conserve populations of rare species

and species undergoing regional or national declines. A key component of this is identifying where those

opportunities exist and how species of greatest conservation need are distributed within the context of

existing habitat conditions and co-occurring wildlife species. The 2015 revision of the Oklahoma

Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (aka Oklahoma Wildlife Action Plan) recognized 310

species as species of greatest conservation need, and many of these are incompletely understood in terms

of their distributions, habitat needs and basic life history characteristics. To address a portion of this

concern, the Oklahoma Wildlife Diversity Program conducted comprehensive vertebrate inventories on

six agency-owned wildlife management areas in collaboration with the biologists and technicians

stationed on those areas. A series of standard survey techniques were used to document and attempt to

quantify the bird, mammal, amphibian, reptiles and fish communities on each area. These inventories can

serve as a baseline condition for each WMA, and the survey methods and the level of survey effort were

documented so that biologists may repeat this survey in the future to examine changes in the distributions

and relative abundances of species over time.

We selected six wildlife management areas to represent a gradient of habitat and climate conditions from

west to east across the state. In northwestern Oklahoma, we chose to inventory the Cimarron Hills and

Cimarron Bluff WMAs (the Cimarron Hills / Cimarron Bluff complex). These areas are dominated by

mixed-grass prairie and sand sagebrush shrubland communities and should support a portion of the fauna

characteristic of the High Plains. Moving east, we chose Cross Timbers WMA in south-central

Oklahoma and Okmulgee and Deep Fork WMAs (the Okmulgee / Deep Fork complex) in east-central

Oklahoma to represent habitat conditions in the Cross Timbers Region. Cross Timbers WMA lies in the

southwestern corner of the Cross Timbers region and should represent a drier component of the Cross

Timbers on sandy soils, while Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMAs lie in the northeastern portion of the region

and should represent a wetter component of the Cross Timbers on rocky, sandstone soils. The

Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMA complex also contains a substantial acreage of bottomland forest along the

Deep Fork River, which brings another general habitat type into the inventory project. The final area

selected was Cookson WMA, which lies in the Ozark Region of northeastern Oklahoma less than 20

miles from the Arkansas state line. Cookson WMA has the wettest and coolest climate of the six areas

and lies above a transition zone between the limestone bluffs of the Springfield Plateau and the sandstone

hills of the Boston Mountains. This report is written as a series of four stand-along chapters; each chapter

summarizes our findings from each of the four WMAs / WMA complexes.

OBJECTIVE:

Established survey techniques will be used to develop a series of survey protocols and to implement a

biological inventory for all vertebrate and selected invertebrate classes, with an emphasis on species of

greatest conservation need, on six state wildlife management areas.

SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

See the summary reports for WMAs below:

Cimarron Hills and Cimarron Bluff Wildlife Management Areas

Okmulgee and Deep Fork Wildlife Management Areas

Cookson Wildlife Management Area

Cross Timbers Wildlife Management Area

CIMARRON HILLS AND CIMARRON BLUFF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS

We conducted a series of surveys to develop a biological inventory of Cimarron Hills WMA and

Cimarron Bluff WMA during the final annual segment of the grant. These two relatively small wildlife

management areas are geographically close to one another and are managed together under the same area

manager/biologist, Larry Wiemers. This inventory was conducted in collaboration with Larry Wiemers

and the Wildlife Diversity Program owes a great debt of appreciation to Larry for his permission to access

all parts of these wildlife management areas, his assistance in the surveys, and his technical expertise and

local knowledge.

Most of our field work was focused on Cimarron Hills WMA (Figure 1). This WMA has easier

access and serves as the headquarters for both management areas. The Cimarron Hills WMA is located in

northwestern Woods County adjacent to the east bank of the Cimarron River and approximately four

miles south of the Oklahoma/Kansas state line. Most of its 3,770 acres consists of stabilized sand dunes

that support a low shrubland community dominated by sand sagebrush (Artemesia filifolia), Sand Plum

(Prunus angustifolia) and a diverse community of over 100 native prairie grasses and forbs. These dunes

overlie layers of red clay and gypsum. Red shale and clay are exposed at the surface in the northeastern

part of the WMA; this soil type supports a slightly different grass and forb community and generally lacks

sand sagebrush. The underlying gypsum formation is exposed in several areas running north-to-south in

the center of the WMA at the transition between the Cimarron River flood plain and the surrounding

uplands. At these sites, the gypsum forms outcrops and small bluffs. These sites also support a slightly

different plant community that includes several gypsum-associated forbs. Running roughly northeast to

southwest across the WMA is a stream called West Anderson Creek. This creek is comprised of a series

of pools that are connected by subsurface water flow. Surface flows are infrequent and occur for only a

few days at a time following large rainfall events. West Anderson Creek supports an open riparian

woodland community dominated by American elms (Ulmus americana) and a small number of plains

cottonwoods (Populus deltoides), hackberry trees (Celtis occidentalis) and western soapberry trees

(Sapindus drummondii). The western boundary of the WMA is formed by the Cimarron River. In this

part of the state, the Cimarron River has a shallow, braided channel. A large salt flat, more than 500 acres

in size, occurs in the northwestern corner of the WMA adjacent to the Cimarron River and it extends

north onto the adjacent property. Private ranch lands occur on the adjacent properties to the north, east

and south of the WMA. During the period from October 2017 through April 2018, the weather was

unusually dry and under drought conditions; however, from May through September of 2018, the area

received above average rainfall.

The Cimarron Bluff WMA is located in northeastern corner of Harper County adjacent to the

west bank of the Cimarron River (Figure 2). Cimarron Bluff WMA lies approximately 8 miles due south

of Cimarron Hills WMA, but because of the slight northwest to southeast course of the river, Cimarron

Bluff WMA falls on the west-southwest side of the river rather than the east-northeast side. Because of

its position west of the river, there are no active or stabilized sand dunes on the WMA. Its 3,340 acres

overlie an area of layered red clay and gypsum sub-soil strata, identical to those that lie beneath the

stabilized sand dunes on Cimarron Hills WMA. Across most of the Cimarron Bluff WMA, the soils are

derived from red clay/shale, but in some locations, there are exposed gypsum outcrops and bluffs. The

largest of these bluffs occurs along the eastern edge of the management area where it abuts the Cimarron

River flood plain. At least eighty percent of the vegetation on the WMA is comprised of mixed-grass

prairie dominated by little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) with a diversity of forbs. An unnamed,

intermittent stream flows from west to east across the WMA and nearly bisects it into northern and

southern halves. Along this stream is a riparian woodland dominated by American elm, western

soapberry and hackberry trees, with smaller numbers of plains cottonwood, black willow (Salix nigra),

and eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana). There are a few man-made ponds on the area, but most were

dry or nearly dry during our survey as a result of prolonged regional drought. Cimarron Bluff WMA is

surrounded by private ranchland on its north, west, and south sides. The Cimarron River forms the

WMA’s eastern boundary and there is a substantial bluff running the length of the eastern edge of the

WMA that separates it from the river. This bluff varies in height from 75 to nearly 200 feet. Relatively

little of our survey effort was devoted to Cimarron Bluff WMA because of its limited and difficult access.

Because of the recent regional drought and the limited availability of fresh surface water, no

livestock grazing had taken place on the Cimarron Hills and Cimarron Bluff WMAs during the previous

five growing seasons. As a result, much of the vegetation was taller and more dense than is usual for

these areas. Both WMAs have a limited internal road network; most of the interior roads are closed to the

public and not regularly maintained (e.g. graded or mowed); therefore, driving access is relatively limited;

especially on the lesser-used Cimarron Bluff WMA.

The primary project personnel for the 2018 biological surveys were Curtis Tackett, Mark

Howery, Jena Donnell, Matt Fullerton, Larry Wiemers and Melynda Hickman. We received help from

the Oklahoma City Zoological Park staff during our February and August surveys and wish to

acknowledge Jordan Long, Erik Kalen and Alicia Snellen. We conducted six surveys on the Cimarron

Hills and Cimarron Bluff WMAs as follows:

5, 6, and 7 February 2018

24 and 25 April 2018

22, 23, and 24 May 2018

19, 20, and 21 June 2018

12 and 13 July 2018

21, 22, and 23 August 2018

Figure 1. Map of Cimarron Hills Wildlife Management Area

Figure 2. Map of Cimarron Bluff Wildlife Management Area

Our techniques varied between surveys based upon the focal taxa for that season. The most

commonly used technique was the timed-search survey in which observers walked through specific

habitats for a predetermined length of time (typically for 30 to 60 minutes at a time) and recorded every

vertebrate that was seen or heard (in the case of birds and anurans). In cases where the observers acted

independently, each observer’s time and data were recorded separately; however, in cases where two or

more observers remained together (e.g. traveling along a road or trail), the observers were considered to

be a field party and their effort was treated as if they were a single individual. The timed-search was a

very effective technique for surveying birds but was moderately successful for surveying amphibians and

reptiles. During timed-searches that were focused on amphibians and reptiles (April, May and July), we

lifted and searched under rocks and fallen logs where available; however, both of these cover objects are

very limited in abundance on both WMAs. We used dip nets to sample the fish populations in pools

within West Anderson Creek during the May survey. To assess the small mammal community, we used

Sherman live traps baited with chicken scratch, black oil sunflower seeds and rolled oats to capture,

record, and release rodents. Small mammal trapping was conducted in April, May and July. During the

June survey (bird nesting season) we conducted a series of 42 5-minute point counts along the WMA

roads to assess the breeding bird community.

Each survey trip had a different focus and targeted a specific group of taxa. The winter surveys

focused on the bird community, although incidental mammal observations were recorded. The April,

May, and July surveys were focused on reptiles and small mammals, although bird observations were

made secondarily, and pools were searched for fish and amphibians. The focus of the June survey was an

assessment of the breeding bird community, although incidental observations of reptiles and amphibians

were made during the avian point counts and when scouting out the route for the point counts. The

August survey was focused on assessing the bat community and mist-nets were set for three hours

following sundown at two locations. Collectively, the level of effort expended on Cimarron Hills and

Cimarron Bluff WMA during 2018 equaled 14.5 hours of diurnal timed-searches on foot with an

emphasis on amphibians and reptiles; 19.5 hours of diurnal road-based timed-searches with an emphasis

on birds and reptiles; 7.5 hours of nocturnal timed-searches (road cruising) during six nights with an

emphasis on reptiles and mammals; 1.5 hours of dip-netting surveys for fish; 198 small mammal trap

nights at eleven locations accompanied by 9 hours of incidental observations during set-up and take-

down; six hours of mist-netting for bats and recording bat echolocations; 19.5 hours of timed-searches for

wintering birds, and 42 five-minute point-counts for breeding birds.

We recorded all vertebrates observed or heard during our surveys, but the surveys were

conducted at times and locations that were most likely to detect species of greatest conservation need

(SGCN) as defined in the Oklahoma Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. During our

inventory, we detected the following 18 SGCN on the two areas - Texas Horned Lizard, Mexican Free-

tailed Bat, Swainson’s Hawk, Snowy Plover, Least Tern, Wilson’s Phalarope, Burrowing Owl, Red-

headed Woodpecker, Northern Bobwhite, Lesser Prairie-Chicken, Loggerhead Shrike, Bell's Vireo,

Cassin’s Sparrow, Painted Bunting, Harris's Sparrow, Bullock’s Oriole, Arkansas Darter, and Arogos

Skipper. Our experiences in conducting wildlife inventories on previously studied wildlife management

areas (Cross Timbers WMA, Cookson WMA, and Okmulgee WMA) has taught us that single-year

surveys tend to be less complete because the searching and trapping efforts are smaller and because

annual variation in weather conditions, especially rainfall, during the spring and early summer months can

alter the activity levels and abundances of many amphibian, reptile and small mammal species. The dry

weather conditions that Cimarron Hills and Cimarron Bluff WMAs experienced in the spring may

account for our relatively low detection rates for amphibians and reptiles, while the rainfall in June and

July may account for our relatively low small mammal trapping success in July. We recommend that

similar inventory efforts in the future be planned as two-year series of surveys.

Amphibians and Reptiles

Surveys for amphibians were particularly challenging on these wildlife management areas. The

region has a naturally low diversity of amphibians, with only one species of salamander and nine species

of anurans documented in the two-county area. Coupled with this, is the limited amount of fresh surface

water that provides potential breeding habitats for amphibians on these WMAs. The Cimarron River in

this area is too saline to support larval amphibians; the sandy soils that dominate Cimarron Hills WMA

don’t support ponds, and the potential breeding ponds in the clay soils on Cimarron Bluff WMA were

almost entirely dry due to an on-going drought. Additionally, dry weather conditions persisted during

what is normally the peak period for amphibian reproductive activity and nocturnal calling activity.

Amphibians, particularly frogs and toads, are most easily detected in the months between March and

June; however, in 2018 the region experienced a prolonged dry weather pattern through May and only

began to recover from drought in June. We detected only three relatively common species of amphibians

out of a potential amphibian community of 10 species; these results are summarized below in Table 1.

We located Woodhouse’s Toads (Anaxyrus woodhousii) at several locations across Cimarron Hills WMA,

primarily during the early morning and evening hours. We located Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs (Acris

blanchardi) and Plains Leopard Frogs (Lithobates blairi) only in association with pools in West Anderson

Creek. Unlike the other WMAs that we have surveyed, we did not detect any frogs or toads calling in the

evenings due to the scarcity of suitable breeding ponds. Larry Wiemers confirmed the presence of Barred

Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium) based on his incidental observations during the past seven

years, but we did not detect this species during our formal surveys. Suitable habitat exists on the WMAs

for Great Plains Toads (Anaxyrus cognatus), Plains Spadefoots (Spea bombifrons), and Western

Narrowmouth Toads (Gastrophryne olivacea), and we anticipate that these species are present and would

have been detected if weather conditions had been more favorable. Additionally, potential habitat exists

for Red-spotted Toads (Anaxyrus punctatus) around the gypsum outcroppings on both WMAs, and for

Spotted Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris clarkii) on Cimarron Bluff WMA, so searches for these species should

be pursued in the future.

Table 1. Summary of Amphibian Detections on Cimarron Hills/Cimarron Bluff WMAs

Diurnal Nocturnal

Common (Scientific) Name Timed Searches Timed Searches

Woodhouse’s Toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii) 2 3

Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi) 7

Plains Leopard Frog (Lithobates blairi) 3 adults, 2 tadpoles

Surveys for reptiles were accomplished through a combination of diurnal timed-searches on foot,

diurnal road cruises (driving roads slowly in the mornings and late afternoons looking for basking or

foraging reptiles), and nocturnal road cruises. For these WMAs, we found the greatest detection success

through diurnal road cruising, especially in the mid-mornings and in the late afternoons four to two hours

before dark. Timed searches on foot were more difficult than we experienced during similar surveys on

other wildlife management areas. Cimarron Hills and Cimarron Bluff WMAs have relatively few cover

objects (e.g. rocks and logs) under which lizards and snakes can hide; therefore, many of these species

appear to occupy burrows or take refuge from the heat in dense sagebrush or clumps of grass where they

are difficult to observe or capture. With very few cover objects to lift and search for small reptiles, we

had to rely on observing basking reptiles (often on sagebrush branches) or flushing animals as we walked.

An additional constraint to our success was heat. In open grassland and shrubland habitats, the ground

became very warm by noon and curtailed the activity of ground-dwelling reptiles. In contrast to our

timed-searches on foot, we had greater than expected success searching roads by vehicle in the mornings

and late afternoons. Many of the common reptiles on the WMAs were species that would bask or forage

along roads during the cooler times of the day.

The three most commonly detected reptiles during our surveys were Prairie Lizard (Sceloporus

consobrinus), Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) and Prairie Racerunner (Cnemidophorus

sexlineatus viridis). The Prairie Lizard was most often seen during timed-searches on foot – usually

around Sand Sagebrush shrubs, while the Texas Horned Lizard and Prairie Racerunner were most often

found on the edges of roads. The other two lizard species that were detected, Eastern Collared Lizard

(Crotaphytus collaris) and Western Slender Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus) were not seen in

sufficiently large numbers to detect a pattern. Both Collared Lizards were seen in the vicinity of gypsum

outcrops, and the Western Slender Glass Lizards were found in sagebrush shrubland habitat. Two other

lizard species are likely to occur on the WMAs but were not detected – Great Plains Skinks (Plestiodon

obsoletus) and Lesser Earless Lizards (Holbrookia maculata), which may occur on dunes with sparser

vegetation.

As many as 22 species of snakes may occur on the two WMAs; however, we detected only eight

of these, plus a ninth species (Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum)) that was observed crossing a county

road approximately three miles from Cimarron Hills WMA. Snakes were generally found

opportunistically and nearly all of the individuals that we found were crossing roads or basking on roads.

Most of the smaller species of snakes spend the majority of their time burrowing in the soil or leaf litter

and can be found by lifting rocks and logs during cool weather or raking leaves. However, the scarcity of

rocks, logs and leaf litter made finding species such as the Plains Black-headed Snake (Tantilla nigriceps)

and Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus) difficult. We suspect that both of these species occur on

one or both WMAs but were not able to confirm this. The one species of small snake that we found was

represented by a single Variable Ground Snake (Sonora semiannulata) that we found on a sandy road

north of the headquarters. Evening road cruises were productive for finding nocturnal species such as the

Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) and Western Massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus). The other snake

species that we documented are summarized in Table 2. In addition to these species, we anticipate that

the Great Plains Ratsnake (Patherophis emoryi), Western Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon nasicus), Texas

Nightsnake (Hypsiglena jani), Speckled Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula), Long-nosed Snake

(Rhinochelius lecontei), and Marcy’s Checkered Gartersnake (Thamnophis marcianus) could be found on

one or both WMAs with additional search effort because suitable habitat exists for each. Although we did

not confirm the presence of Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), this species has been

documented on Cimarron Bluff WMA by Larry Wiemers.

Three species of turtles were located during the inventory. Yellow Mud Turtles (Kinosternon

flavescens) were documented in two ponds on Cimarron Hills WMA and Red-eared Slider (Trachemys

scripta elegans) was documented in a pond on Cimarron Bluff WMA. Ornate Box Turtles appear to be

common on both WMAs and were seen at multiple locations. Despite the location of both WMAs in the

flood plain of a large river, the Cimarron River did not appear to enhance the suitability of these WMAs

for aquatic turtles. The Cimarron River is sufficiently saline that it appears to be unsuitable, or at least

seasonally unsuitable, for aquatic turtles, and none were seen in the river.

Table 2. Summary of Reptile Detections on Cimarron Hills/Cimarron Bluff WMAs

Diurnal Timed- Diurnal Nocturnal

Common (Scientific) Name Searches on Foot Road Cruising Road Cruising

Yellow Mud Turtle (Kinosternon flavescens) 7

Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) 1

Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata) 1 4

Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris) 1 1

Prairie (Fence) Lizard (Sceloporus consobrinus) 11 2

Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) 3 12

Prairie Racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus) 3 14

Western Slender Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus) 1 1

Kansas Glossy Snake (Arizona elegans) 1 1

Eastern Racer (Coluber constrictor) 1

Diamond-backed Watersnake (Nerodia rhombifer) 1

Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum) 1

Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi) 1

Variable Ground Snake (Sonora semiannulata) 1

Red-sided Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis) 1

Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) 1 2

Western Massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus) 1 2

Mammals

As many as 38 species of native mammals potentially occur on and in the vicinity of Cimarron

Hills and Cimarron Bluff Wildlife Management Areas, with nearly 2/3 of these being bats (9 species) and

rodents (17 species). We did not use any survey methods that targeted game mammals (e.g. White-tailed

Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and furbearers), but we recorded sightings of these animals during our

timed-search surveys and noted identifiable tracks of furbearers to document their presence. We observed

White-tailed Deer during almost every survey, and one or more Coyotes were observed during two

surveys. We observed many track-lines for both of these species as well as several track-lines from

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) and Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis), and one track-line from an American

Badger (Taxidea taxus). Although not detected during the formal surveys, Larry Wiemers had observed

Bobcat (Felis rufa), Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana), and Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) on multiple

occasions during 2018.

Because of the potential diversity of bats in this part of the state and the fact that none of these

species were endangered, we attempted to capture and release bats in mist nets. During the August

survey, mist nets were set up at two locations on Cimarron Hills WMA for a single night each and were

operated for three hours each night. While the mist nets were being monitored for bat captures, an Echo

Meter Touch device from Wildlife Acoustics was used to record bat vocalizations at the site. Mist nets

were set up in a partially wooded area near the Cimarron River one night and over a pool in West

Anderson Creek near a gypsum outcrop the other night. Two Evening Bats (Nycticeius humeralis) and

six Mexican Free-tailed Bats (Tadarida brasiliensis), were captured, photographed and released during

the two-night survey. The Evening Bats were noteworthy because they represented a new county record

for this species. At the site adjacent to the Cimarron River, the survey crew recorded 191 identifiable bat

vocalizations, and at the West Anderson Creek site they obtained 274 identifiable vocalizations.

Although it is impossible to determine how many bats of each species were present at these sites, the

vocalizations document the presence of at least one bat for each species and provide an estimate of the

relative abundance of each species. At the Cimarron River site, 29% of the recordings were from Cave

Bats (Myotis velifer), 27% were from Evening Bats, 19% were from Mexican Free-tailed Bats, 16% were

from Eastern Red Bats (Lasiurus borealis), 5% were from Western Small-footed Bats (Myotis

ciliolabrum) and 4% were from Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus). At the West Anderson Creek site,

58% of the recordings were from Cave Bats, 15% were from Western Small-footed Bats, 8% were from

Pallid Bats (Antrozous pallidus), 7% were from Eastern Red Bats, 6% were from Evening Bats, and 6%

were from Mexican Free-tailed Bats. With the combination of mist-netting and acoustic recordings, we

documented seven species of bats on Cimarron Hills WMA and these same species should be present on

Cimarron Bluff WMA as well because of their habitat similarities.

We used Sherman live-traps as our method for assessing the WMAs’ rodent population. We set

live traps in arrays of 10 to 25 traps at eleven locations on Cimarron Hills WMA which were operated for

a single night at each site. Our total trap effort was 198 trap nights – 50 trap nights during one night in

April; 78 trap nights during one night in May and 70 trap nights distributed across two nights in July.

Trapping success was relatively low on the WMA and ranged from 16% in April to 5% in May. This is

much lower than our success rates on Cross Timbers, Cookson, and Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMAs and

may reflect lower rodent abundance due to habitat differences or the effects of prolonged drought. In 198

trap nights, we captured and released five Ord’s Kangaroo Rats (Dipodomys ordii), two Western Harvest

Mice (Reithrodontomys megalotis), two White-footed Mice (Peromyscus leucopus), three North

American Deer Mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), two Hispid Cotton Rats (Sigmodon hispidus) and a

single Southern Plains Woodrat (Neotoma micropus) for a cumulative trap success rate of 7.5%. We

observed a third Hispid Cotton Rat during a diurnal timed search and two additional Ord’s Kangaroo Rats

during a nocturnal road cruise. Three North American Porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) were observed

incidentally during our diurnal survey for wintering birds, and a Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel

(Spermophilus tridecmlineatus) was observed during a diurnal timed-search. Larry Wiemers reported that

he observed numerous ground squirrels on the area each spring. Based on his description, most were

probably Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels, but some of the observations on Cimarron Hills WMA were

likely to be Spotted Ground Squirrels (Spermophilus spilosoma). Based upon the available habitat, we

suspect that at least three other rodent species occur on one or both WMAs – Plains Pocket Mouse

(Perognathus flavescens), Hispid Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus hispidus) and Northern Grasshopper

Mouse (Onychomys leucogaster). The other mammal species observed during the inventory were Nine-

banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) and Black-tailed

Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus), each of which appears to be common on the WMAs and was observed

during both diurnal and nocturnal surveys.

Table 3. Summary of Mammals Detected on Cimarron Hills and Cimarron Bluff WMAs

Common Name Diurnal Timed Nocturnal Timed Live

Searches Searches Traps

Western Small-footed Bat (Myotis ciliolabrum) calls

Cave Bat (Myotis velifer) calls

Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) calls

Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis) calls

Evening Bat (Nycticeius humeralis) 2

Pallid Bat (Antrozous pallidus) calls

Mexican Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) 6

Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) 3 1

Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) 3 3

Black-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) 4 4

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus

tridecmlineatus) 1

Ord’s Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys ordii) 2 5

Western Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis) 2

White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) 2

North American Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) 3

Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) 1 2

Southern Plains Woodrat (Neotoma micropus) 1

North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) 3

Coyote (Canis latrans) 3

Raccoon (Procyon lotor) track lines

Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) track lines

American Badger (Taxidea taxus) track line

White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) 19 4

Birds

As a group, birds are very mobile and many of Oklahoma’s species are migratory. Because of

this, we’ve divided our bird data into three seasons to identify the bird communities that winter on

Cimarron Hills and Cimarron Bluff WMAs, the communities that occur on the WMAs during the

summering / nesting season, and the species that occur during the transitional migration seasons. Our

winter season bird community is based upon data from our February survey; the migration season bird

community is based upon the data collected during our April survey, and our breeding season community

is based upon data collected during our May, June and July surveys. Across all three seasons, 91 species

of birds were detected on the two management areas during our surveys.

Wintering Bird Community

The wintering bird community was surveyed during February 5 – 7, 2018 by a team consisting of

Mark Howery, Jena Donnell and Larry Weimers from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife

Conservation and Jordan Long, Erik Kalen and Alicia Snellen from the Oklahoma City Zoo. The survey

was conducted as a series of timed searches by a team of two or three observers that traveled as a group

and recorded every bird that was seen or heard and could be positively identified by at least one member

of the team. The timed-searches were accomplished by driving WMA roads and observing birds from the

vehicle (using the vehicle as a form of bird-blind) and by walking through tracts of grassland and

shrubland habitat and along reaches of riparian habitat. Because the members of each survey team

traveled together and most of the birds that they saw were observed by all of the team members, their

search times were recorded as “party hours” to reflect that more than one observer was present during the

search. In general, a group of two to four people can locate and confirm the identification of a greater

number of birds than a single observer can because there are more observers and a greater probability that

each bird will be seen and identified by more than one person.

Wintering birds were surveyed on Cimarron Bluff WMA in two sessions – four hours during the

afternoon of 5 February 2018 and four hours during the morning of 7 February 2018. The survey crew

worked as one large team during both timed-search sessions because of the limited accessibility of the

area. Twenty-six species of birds were recorded on the area during the two sessions combined (Table 4).

Nine of these were found only on Cimarron Bluff WMA (Barn Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Carolina

Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Northern Cardinal, Fox Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, House Finch, and

American Goldfinch), and the remaining 17 were also observed on Cimarron Hills WMA. Some of the

more noteworthy birds included a Brown Creeper and seven Fox Sparrows seen in riparian habitat along

the unnamed intermittent creek, and a Barn Owl that was flushed from a group of redcedar trees at the

base of a gypsum bluff. The most numerous species on the WMA were Dark-eyed Junco, American Tree

Sparrow, American Robin and Brewer’s Blackbird – the last species because of a large flock that settled

on the area to roost. Five meadowlarks were seen on the area (all flushed from tallgrass), but none of

these vocalized and we were not able to determine whether they were Eastern or Western meadowlarks.

It is likely that both species are present on the area, but the tall, rank herbaceous vegetation that existed on

the area during the survey is more likely to support Eastern Meadowlarks. Ironically, grassland bird

species such as meadowlarks, Savannah Sparrows and Northern Bobwhites were probably under-sampled

during our survey because of the abundance of cover provided by the tall vegetation that had not been

grazed or burned in four growing seasons. The survey team made a concerted effort to walk through

areas of tallgrass to locate wintering Le Conte’s Sparrows, but was unsuccessful. We had hoped to

encounter Chestnut-collared or Lapland Longspurs on the area, but the grassland vegetation appeared to

be too tall and dense for these species. All but one pond on the WMA was dry and a flock of Mallards

was the only aquatic species that we observed. During wetter weather cycles, it is likely that other species

of waterfowl, Great Blue Herons, and Belted Kingfishers winter on the WMA.

The survey for wintering birds on Cimarron Hills WMA was conducted on 6 February 2018.

Because of a cold front that passed through the area during the night prior to the survey, the weather

conditions were overcast, cold, and windy with a strong northerly wind that held temperatures below

freezing all day. For the survey, the WMA was divided in half and each half was searched by a team of

three people. Because of the weather conditions, most observations were made from vehicles or on foot

close to WMA roads. Twenty-three species were observed by the two teams combined (Table 4). Six

species were observed only on Cimarron Hills WMA (Greater Roadrunner, Loggerhead Shrike, White-

crowned Sparrow, Merlin, American Kestrel, and American Crow) while the remaining 17 were observed

also on Cimarron Bluff WMA. The most commonly observed species on Cimarron Hills WMA were

American Tree Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, meadowlark (Eastern and Western combined),

American Robin and Savannah Sparrow. Numerous mixed-species flocks of native sparrows were

observed and most of these were seen in and around the shelter provided by large sand plum thickets.

American Tree Sparrows dominated these flocks, but they frequently included smaller numbers of White-

crowned, Harris’s, Field, and Savannah sparrows.

Table 4. Summary of the Wintering Bird Community on Cimarron Hills and Cimarron Bluff WMA.

Common Name (Scientific Name)

Cimarron Bluff WMA

February 5 & 7, 2018

8 party hours - (6 on

foot / 2 by vehicle)

Cimarron Hills WMA

February 6, 2018

11.5 party hours - (2.0

on foot / 9.5 by vehicle)

Survey

Total

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 7 12 19

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) 16 22 38

Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) 8 6 14

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 3 8 11

Merlin (Falco columbarius) 1 1

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 3 3

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 2 1 3

Greater Roadrunner

(Geococcyx californianus) 1 1

Barn Owl (Tyto alba) 1 1

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 10 6 16

Red-bellied Woodpecker

(Melanerpes carolinus) 2 2

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) 1 1

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 2 2

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) 6 6

Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) 1 1

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 1 7 8

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 39 43 82

Yellow-rumped Warbler 8 2 10

(Setophaga coronata)

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 6 6

Savannah Sparrow

(Passerculus sandwichensis) 7 27 34

American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea) 35 196 231

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) 4 9 13

Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 77 7 84

Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) 7 7

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 15 7 22

White-crowned Sparrow

(Zonotrichia leucophrys) 26 26

Harris’s Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) 2 19 21

Meadowlark species (Sturnella sp.) 5 46 51

Red-winged Blackbird

(Agelaius phoeniceus) 4 4

Brewer’s Blackbird

(Euphagus cyanocephalus) 160 20 180

House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) 1 1

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) 1 1

Spring Migration Bird Community

The data for the spring migration bird community are somewhat limited because the only survey

conducted during the spring migration window was the one on 24 and 25 April 2018. The survey that

was conducted in May was too late in the season to capture most of the migrating songbirds and

shorebirds that move through Oklahoma; therefore, those observations were included with the

summer/nesting season observations. The results of the April survey are summarized in Table 5 and

include 54 species. The summary is not a comprehensive representation of areas’ bird community during

the spring because many potential migrants and nesting species were missed. The survey was well-timed

to document a portion of the migrating shorebird community (seven species plus two summer residents)

and common grassland-dependent songbirds (e.g. Vesper and Clay-colored sparrows), but many migrants

were missed. Songbird species that are likely to migrate through the area but were missed include House

Wren (Troglodytes aedon), Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis), Swainson's Thrush (Catharus

ustulatus), American Pipit (Anthus rubescens), Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla), Yellow

Warbler (Dendroica petechia), Wilson’s Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla), Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis

trichas), Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina), Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii), and Yellow-

headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus). To help identify those species that occur in this

region as migrants, the residence status of each one is shown. Species were classified as either year-

round residents, winter residents (that lingered into the early spring), early-arriving summer residents

(breeding species that arrive in March and April), and migrants (species which neither winter nor breed in

the region).

Table 5. Spring Birds on Cimarron Hills and Cimarron Bluff WMAs. (Based on 8.0 Hours of

Timed Searches for Birds and Incidental Observation During 2.5 Hours of Timed Searches for

Amphibians and Reptiles)

Common Name (Scientific Name) # Detected Residence Status

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 3 (year-round resident)

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) 2 (year-round resident)

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) 1 (year-round resident)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 1 (year-round resident)

Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) 5 (migrant)

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 8 (early-arriving summer resident)

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 2 (year-round resident)

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 4 (year-round resident)

Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) 10 (early-arriving summer resident)

Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) 6 (migrant)

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) 3 (early-arriving summer resident)

Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) 2 (migrant)

Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 2 (migrant)

Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 12 (migrant)

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) 19 (migrant)

Baird’s Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) 3 (migrant)

Wilson’s Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) 24 (migrant)

Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri) 1 (migrant)

Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) 2 (year-round resident)

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 33 (year-round resident)

Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) 1 (migrant)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 1 (year-round resident)

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 1 (year-round resident)

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 5 (year-round resident)

Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya) 3 (migrant)

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) 7 (early-arriving summer resident)

Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii) 1 (early-arriving summer resident)

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) 4 (year-round resident)

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 2 (year-round resident)

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 6 (early-arriving summer resident)

Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) 6 (early-arriving summer resident)

Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) 2 (migrant)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 1 (winter resident and migrant)

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 2 (year-round resident)

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2 (year-round resident)

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) 3 (early-arriving summer resident)

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 9 (winter resident)

Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata) 2 (migrant)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 2 (winter resident and migrant)

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 2 (year-round resident)

Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) 1 (early-arriving summer resident)

Cassin’s Sparrow (Aimophila cassinii) 2 (early-arriving summer resident)

Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) 12 (early-arriving summer resident)

Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) 10 (migrant)

Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida) 7 (migrant)

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) 15 (year-round resident)

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) 34 (winter resident)

Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 1 (migrant)

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 1 (winter resident)

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) 34 (year-round resident)

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) 1 (year-round resident)

Red-winged Blackbird (Ageaius phoeniceus) 6 (year-round resident)

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscala) 4 (year-round resident)

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) 1 (year-round resident)

Breeding Bird Community

We used road-based, five-minute point-counts as our primary tool for assessing the relative

abundance and composition of the breeding bird community on Cimarron Hills WMA. We identified and

recorded every bird that was seen or heard during a five-minute period within 200 meters at 42 locations

on 20 and 21 June 2018. The point-count locations were placed along WMA roads and were spaced at

intervals of 0.4 miles to maximize the number of stops that could be made while minimizing the potential

for double-recording birds. We conducted the point-counts between 6:15 am (approximately 20 minutes

after snrise) and 10:30 am. Because we did not begin the point counts until after sunrise, we did not

detect any nocturnal birds such as owls or Common Poorwills (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii), but we did

observe Common Nighthawks (Chordeiles minor) because they forage actively during the morning hours.

We attempted to sample the different habitat types on the wildlife management area in proportion to their

abundance. We divided the point-count locations between two broad habitat types: 1) sand sagebrush

shrubland and grassland habitat, and 2) riparian woodland/shrubland habitat. We considered riparian

habitat to be any point-count location that contained 20% or more tree cover within a 200-meter radius of

the observer. Most of these riparian sites were located near West Anderson Creek as it meandered

through the WMA. No site was entirely riparian woodland; most of the riparian sites contained 50% or

more sagebrush shrubland and/or grassland vegetation cover. Ten of our point-count sites had some

riparian vegetation (usually elm or cottonwood trees) and the remaining 32 sites were a mosaic of

sagebrush shrubland and prairie vegetation. Point-counts are an effective technique for measuring the

frequency of occurrence and relative abundances of most songbirds, but they are less effective for

detecting rare songbirds and species that do not sing to signal the boundaries of their territories (e.g. Wild

Turkeys, woodpeckers and raptors).

Forty species of birds were detected at the 42 point-count stations (Table 6). Fifteen additional

species of birds were observed incidentally during either the June or July survey, suggesting that these

species also breed on the WMA in at least small numbers. These species were Wild Turkey (Meleagris

gallopavo), Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Great

Blue Heron (Ardea herodius), Green Heron (Butorides virescens), Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsonii),

Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous), Least Tern (Sternulla

antillarum), Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto), Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus),

Common Poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii), Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), American Crow

(Corvus brachyrhynchos), and Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris). Most of these species were seen in

small numbers or as single individuals (Table 7); however, 14 Snowy Plovers and ten Least Terns were

counted on the salt flat on the western boundary of the WMA where they nest. Noteworthy among these

species are five SGCN – the Snowy Plover, Least Tern, Lesser Prairie-Chicken, Loggerhead Shrike, and

Swainson’s Hawk.

Table 6. Summary of 5-minute Point Counts for Assessing Breeding Birds on Cimarron Hills

WMA. Point counts were conducted at 42 locations. (The number detected is shown followed by

the average number of individuals per location in that habitat type.)

Common Name (Scientific Name) Grassland/Shrubland

Sites – 32 locations

Riparian Sites

10 locations

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) 96 (3.0) 17 (1.7)

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) 13 (0.41) 1 (0.1)

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1 (0.03) 1 (0.1)

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) 3 (0.09) 10 (1.0)

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 3 (0.09) 2 (0.2)

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 57 (1.78) 32 (3.2)

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) 0 (0) 4 (0.4)

Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) 17 (0.53) 3 (0.3)

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 0 (0) 4 (0.4)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 0 (0) 1 (0.1)

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 1 (0.03) 2 (0.2)

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 0 (0) 1 (0.1)

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) 2 (0.06) 3 (0.3)

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 4 (0.13) 9 (0.9)

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) 9 (0.28) 7 (0.7)

Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii) 3 (0.09) 0 (0)

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 0 (0) 3 (0.3)

N. Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) 0 (0) 1 (0.1)

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 0 (0) 8 (0.8)

Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) 9 (0.28) 7 (0.7)

Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) 0 (0) 2 (0.2)

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 0 (0) 1 (0.1)

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) 9 (0.28) 4 (0.4)

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) 11 (0.34) 27 (2.7)

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 0 (0) 1 (0.1)

Blue Grosbeak (Guiraca caerulea) 2 (0.06) 4 (0.4)

Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) 0 (0) 2 (0.2)

Dickcissel (Spiza americana) 97 (3.03) 21 (2.1)

Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) 14 (0.44) 2 (0.2)

Cassin’s Sparrow (Aimophila cassinii) 72 (2.25) 10 (1.0)

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) 9 (0.28) 12 (1.2)

Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) 21 (0.66) 15 (1.5)

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) 87 (2.72) 25 (2.5)

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) 7 (0.22) 0 (0)

Red-winged Blackbird (Ageaius phoeniceus) 5 (0.16) 8 (0.8)

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscala) 1 (0.03) 2 (0.2)

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 8 (0.25) 1 (0.1)

Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) 0 (0) 4 (0.4)

Bullock’s Oriole (Icterus bullockii) 0 (0) 5 (0.5)

Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 1 (0.03) 3 (0.3)

Table 6 displays the point-count data in two ways – the raw number of individual birds of each

species observed in the two habitat categories, and the average number of birds of each species in each

habitat category. These data provide an indication of the relative abundance of each species. In the

sagebrush shrubland and grassland habitat category, the most abundant species were Dickcissel, Eastern

Meadowlark, Northern Bobwhite, Cassin’s Sparrow and Mourning Dove. Each of these species was seen

at an average of more than one bird per point-count. Ring-necked Pheasant, Common Nighthawk, and

Grasshopper Sparrow were less common, but were seen more frequently in the shrubland/grassland sites

than in the riparian-associated sites. Although not obvious from the summary table, Grasshopper

Sparrows were typically detected at sites that had lower sagebrush cover and greater cover of bunch

grasses. The abundance of Cassin’s Sparrows on the WMA is noteworthy because this species has a

somewhat restricted range and is an SGCN; however, it is common in the sagebrush-dominated

grasslands on Cimarron Hills WMA.

The riparian-associated point count sites had greater number of birds overall and many species

were more common in this habitat than in the surrounding upland grasslands. The most frequently

detected bird species in the riparian sites were Mourning Dove, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern

Meadowlark, Dickcissel, Northern Bobwhite, Lark Sparrow and Field Sparrow. Some of the several

species that were found only in these sites include Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-headed Woodpecker,

Bewick’s Wren, Painted Bunting, Orchard Oriole, and Bullock’s Oriole.

Table 7. Birds Seen Incidentally During Summer Surveys

Common Name (Scientific Name) # Detected

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 6

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) 50

Lesser Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) 1

Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) 7

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 1

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) 1

Green Heron (Butorides virescens) 1

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 8

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 2

Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsonii) 1

Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) 14

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) 4

Least Tern (Sternulla antillarum) 10

Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) 1

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 128

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) 3

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) 1

Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) 33

Common Poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii) 3

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 8

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 2

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 2

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) 2

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 17

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) 26

Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii) 5

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) 1

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 1

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 2

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 16

Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) 9

Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) 1

Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) 1

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 2

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) 6

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) 22

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 2

Blue Grosbeak (Guiraca caerulea) 4

Dickcissel (Spiza americana) 73

Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) 11

Cassin’s Sparrow (Aimophila cassinii) 56

Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) 73

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) 8

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) 71

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) 7

Red-winged Blackbird (Ageaius phoeniceus) 24

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscala) 4

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 3

Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) 1

Bullock’s Oriole (Icterus bullockii) 4

Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) 3

Fish

We used dip nets to conduct timed searches for fish in two sections of West Anderson Creek and

in the Cimarron River about a quarter of a mile downstream from the confluence of West Anderson Creek

near the site of a former U.S. Geological Survey water gauge station. In the two West Anderson Creek

sites combined, we netted 92 Western Mosquito Fish (Gambusia affinis), 2 Green Sunfish (Lepomis

cyanellus), and 31 Arkansas Darters (Etheostoma cragini) in a total of 1.25 hours. At the Cimarron River

site, we netted 63 Red River Pupfish (Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis) and 17 Northern Plains Killifish

(Fundulus kansae) in 0.75 hours.

The fish community of West Anderson Creek contains a limited number of species, but the

presence of the Arkansas Darter is noteworthy because this is an Oklahoma species of greatest

conservation need and a former candidate for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. We

found these Arkansas Darters in an area where several springs or seeps feed groundwater into the stream.

This section of the creek was shallow, but the water temperature was relatively cool because of the

ground water connection. The stream channel was vegetated with a mix of cattails (Typha sp.), bullrushes

(Schoenoplectus sp) and watercress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum) that provided cover for the darters

and indicated that this portion of the stream supported surface water year-round. Elsewhere on West

Anderson Creek there are several deep pools that support sport fish – Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus),

Green Sunfish, and Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) and catch-and-release fishing is allowed,

but other than the two Green Sunfish, we saw no evidence of the other sport fish in the reach where the

Arkansas Darters occurred.

The fish community within the Cimarron River appears to have limited species richness as well.

We did not collect water quality parameters, but this reach of the river is known to have an elevated

salinity because of the upwelling of saline ground water under the salt flat that lies adjacent to the river’s

left descending bank. Red River Pupfish and Northern Plains Killifish have relatively high salt tolerances

for freshwater fish and can survive in this area. We sampled this area during the July survey when water

temperatures were elevated and when flows are diminished. It is likely that a greater diversity of fish

would have been detected if we had sampled during a period with greater flow when there was greater

dilution of locally contributed salinity.

Invertebrates

We did not conduct any surveys specifically for invertebrate taxa; however, we maintained a list

of all butterfly species that were observed incidentally during our bird, amphibian and reptile surveys.

Twenty-eight species were observed on the area and these are listed in Table 8. Most of the species that

we observed are common and widespread in Oklahoma; however, we found several Arogos Skippers

(Atrytone arogos), a species of greatest conservation need, nectaring on Baldwin’s Ironweed (Vernonia

baldwinii) during the July survey.

Table 8. Butterflies Observed on Cimarron Hills and Cimarron Bluff WMAs

Common Name / (Scientific Name) Common Name / (Scientific Name)

Checkered White (Pontia protodice)

Giant Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)

Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)

Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)

Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)

Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus)

Eastern Tailed Blue (Everes comyntas)

Melissa Blue (Lycaeides melissa)

Reakirt's Blue (Hemiargus isola)

Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Queen (Danaus gilippus)

Goatweed Leafwing (Anaea andria)

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)

Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)

American Painted Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)

Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)

Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala)

Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus ciarus)

Hayhurst’s Scallopwing (Staphylus hayhurstii)

Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)

Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)

Comm. Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus communis)

Sachem Skipper (Atalopedes campestris)

Arogos Skipper (Atrytone arogos)

Eufala Skipper (Lerodea eufala)

Nysa Roadside Skipper (Amblyscirtes nysa)

Plants

To the best of our identification ability, we documented the plant species that we observed

incidentally on Cimarron Hills and Cimarron Bluff WMAs during our wildlife surveys. The list shown in

Table 9 does not represent an exhaustive survey effort but provides an indication of the more common

plants on these areas.

Table 9. Plant Species, Arranged by Family, Documented on Cimarron Hills and Cimarron Bluff

WMAs.

Herbaceous Plants

Cyperaceae

Sand Spikerush (Eleocharis montevidensis)

Threesquare Bullrush (Schoenoplectus pungens)

Equisetaceae

Smooth Horsetail (Equisetum laevigatum)

Agavaceae

Soapweed Yucca (Yucca glauca)

Commelinaceae

Slender Day-Flower (Commelina erecta)

Prairie Spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis)

Juncaceae

Torrey’s Rush (Juncus torreyi)

Liliaceae

Drummond’s Onion (Allium drummondii)

False Garlic (Nothoscordum bivalve)

Poaceae

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Sand Bluestem (Andropogon hallii)

Silver Bluestem (Bothriochloa saccharoides)

Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)

Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis)

Giant Sandreed (Calamovilfa gigantea)

Tumble Windmill Grass (Chloris verticillata)

Scribner’s Panicgrass (Dichanthelium

oligosanthes)

Inland Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata)

Purple Lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis)

Common Witchgrass (Panicum capillare)

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Sand Dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus)

Purpletop Tridens (Tridens flavus)

Eastern Gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides)

Amaranthaceae

Careless Weed (Amaranthus palmeri)

Plains Snakecotton (Froelichia floridana)

Woolly Tidestromia (Tidestromia lanuginosa)

Apiaceae

Plains Sandparsley (Ammoselinum popei)

Apocynaceae

Prairie Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum)

Asclepiadaceae

Sand Milkweed (Asclepias arenaria)

Spider Milkweed (Asclepias asperula)

Engelmann’s Milkweed (Asclepias

engelmanniana)

Broadleaf Milkweed (Asclepias latifolia)

Plains Milkweed (Asclepias pumila)

Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)

Asteraceae

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Western Ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya)

Arkansas Dozedaisy (Aphanostephus

skirrhobasis)

White Sagebrush (Artemesia ludoviciana)

White Rose Heath (Chaetopappa ericoides)

Yellowspine Thistle (Cirsium ochrocentrum)

Mare's Tail (Conyza canadensis)

Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)

Hooker’s Scratchdaisy (Croptilon hookerianum)

Clasping Coneflower (Dracopis amplexicaulis)

Prairie Purple Coneflower (Echinacea

angustifolia)

Engelmann’s Daisy (Engelmannia peristenia)

Western Fleabane (Erigeron belliadiastrum)

Prairie Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus)

Bighead Pygmy Cudweed (Evax prolifera)

Red Dome Blanketflower (Gaillardia

pinnatifida)

Rose-ring Blanketflower (Gaillardia pulchella)

Spanish Gold Gumweed (Grindelia papposa)

Bitter Sneezeweed (Helenium amarum)

Annual Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Prairie Sunflower (Helianthus petiolaris)

Hoary False Goldenaster (Heterotheca

canescens)

Stiffleaf False Goldenaster (Heterotheca

stenoplylla)

Camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris)

Woolly-White (Hymenopappus scabiosaeus)

Chalk Hills Woolly-White (Hymenopappus

tenuifolius)

Dotted Blazing Star (Liatris punctata)

Lacy Tansy Aster (Machaeranthera pinnatifida)

Tanseyleaf Tansy Aster (Machaeranthera

tanacetifolia)

Prairie Ragwort (Packera plattensis)

Sweetscent (Pluchea odorata)

Wooly Paperflower (Psilostrophe tagetina)

Tuberous False Dandelion (Pyrrhopappus

grandiflorus)

Upright Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida

columnifera)

Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)

White Heath Aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides)

Stemmy Four-nerve Daisy (Tetraneuris

scaposa)

Hopi Tea Greenthread (Thelesperma

megapotamicum)

Yellow Goat’s Beard (Tragopogon dubis)

Baldwin Ironweed (Vernonia baldwinii)

Rough Cockleburr (Xanthium strumarium)

Plains Zinnia (Zinnia grandiflora)

Boraginaceae

Little Cryptantha (Cryptantha minima)

Phlox Heliotrope (Heliotropium

convolvulaceum)

Narrowleaf Puccoon (Lithospermum incisum)

Brassicaceae

Western Tansymustard (Descurainia pinnata)

Palmer’s Spectaclepod (Dimorphocarpa

candicans)

Veiny Pepperweed (Lepidium oblongum)

Gordon’s Bladderpod (Lesquerella gordonii)

Watercress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum)

Campanulaceae

Clasping Venus Looking-glass (Triodanis

perfoliata)

Capparaceae

Redwhisker Clammyweed (Polanisia

dodecandra)

Caryophyllaceae

James Nailwort (Paronychia jamesii)

Chenopodiaceae

Desert Goosefoot (Chenopodium pratericola)

Kochia (Kochia scoparia)

Russian Thistle (Salsola tragus)

Convolvulaceae

Shaggy Dwarf Morning-glory (Evolvulus

nuttallianus)

Bush Morning-glory (Ipomoea leptophylla)

Cucurbitaceae

Missouri Gourd (Cucurbita foetidissima)

Euphorbiaceae

Sand Dune Sandmat (Chamaesyce carunculata)

Ribseed Sandmat (Chamaesyce glyptosperma)

Tropical Croton (Croton glandulosus)

Texas Croton (Croton texensis)

Snow-on-the-Mountain (Euphorbia marginata)

Queen’s Delight (Stillingia sylvatica)

Fabaceae

Woolly Locoweed (Astragalus mollissimus)

Cream Milkvetch (Astragalus racemosus)

Showy Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciulata)

Golden Prairie Clover (Dalea aurea)

White Prairie Clover (Dalea candida)

Nineanther Dalea (Dalea enneandra)

Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpureum)

Illinois Bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis)

American Licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota)

Scarlet Indigo (Indigofera miniata)

Yellow Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis)

Nuttall's Sensitive Briar (Mimosa nuttallii)

Palmleaf Indian Breadroot (Pediomelum

digitatum)

Subterranean Indian Breadroot (Pediomelum

hypogaeum)

James Rushpea (Pomaria jamesii)

Lemon Scurfpea (Psoralidium lanceolatum)

Slim-flowered Scurfpea (Psoralidium tenuiflora)

Silky Sophora (Sophora nuttalliana)

Goat's Rue (Tephrosia virginiana)

Fumariaceae

Curvepod Fumewort (Corydalis curvisiliqua)

Gentianaceae

Showy Prairie Gentian (Eustoma exaltatum) ?

Geraniaceae

Redstem Cranesbill (Erodium cicutarium)

Hydrophyllaceae

Gypsum Scorpion-weed (Phacelia integrifolia)

Krameriaceae

Trailing Krameria (Krameria lanceolata)

Lamiaceae

Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule)

Lemon Beebalm (Monarda citriodora)

Spotted Beebalm (Monarda punctata)

Pitcher Sage (Salvia azurea)

Woodland Germander (Teucrium canadense)

Malvaceae

Rose Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata)

Scarlet Globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea)

Molluginaceae

Green Carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata)

Nyctaginaceae

Smooth Four O’Clock (Mirabilis glabra)

Narrowleaf Four O’Clock (Mirabilis linearis)

Onagraceae

Yellow Sundrops (Calylophus serrulatus)

Biennial Gaura (Gaura biennis)

Scarlet Gaura (Gaura coccinea)

Woolly Gaura (Gaura villosa)

Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera grandis)

Cutleaf Evening Primrose (Oenothera laciniata)

False Gaura (Stenosiphon linifolius)

Papaveraceae

Crested Pricklypoppy (Argemone polyanthemos)

Pedaliaceae

Devil’s Claw (Proboscidea louisianica)

Phytolaccaceae

Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)

Plantaginaceae

Woolly Plantain (Plantago patagonica)

Redseed Plantain (Plantago rhodosperma)

Polygalaceae

White Milkwort (Polygala alba)

Polygonaceae

Annual Buckwheat (Eriogonum annuum)

Portulacaceae

Largeflower Flameflower (Phemeranthus

(Talinum) calycinus)

Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

Slenderleaf Purslane (Portulaca pilosa)

Ranunculaceae

Carolina Larkspur (Delphinium carolinianum)

Cursed Buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus)

Scrophulariaceae

Yellow Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja purpurea

citrina)

White Penstemon (Penstemon albidus)

Solanaceae

Gray Five Eyes (Chamaesaracha coniodes)

Prairie Ground Cherry (Physalis hispida)

Chinese Lantern (Quincula lobata)

Silverleaf Nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium)

Buffalo Bur (Solanum rostratum)

Verbenaceae

Dakota Verbena (Glandularia bipinnatifida)

Bigbract Verbena (Verbena bracteata)

Hoary Verbena (Verbena stricta)

Violaceae

Field Pansy (Viola bicolor)

Zygophyllaceae

Goathead Puncture Vine (Tribulus terrestris)

Woody Plants:

Cupressaceae

Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Anacardiacea

Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica)

Asteraceae

Sand Sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia)

Great Plains False Willow (Baccharis salicina)

Cornaceaae

Roughleaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii)

Fabaceae

Swamp False Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa)

Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)

Honey Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa)

Grossulariaceae

Golden Current (Ribes aureum)

Moraceae

White Mulberry (Morus alba)

Rosaceae

Chickasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia)

Rubiaceae

Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus

occidentalis)

Salicaceae

Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)

Sandbar Willow (Salix exigua)

Black Willow (Salix nigra)

Sapindaceae

Western Soapberry (Sapindus saponaria)

Sapotaceae

Chittamwood (Sideroxylon (Bumelia)

lanuginosa)

Tamariacaceae

Fivestamen Saltcedar (Tamarix chinensis)

Ulmaceae

Netleaf Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata reticulata)

American Elm (Ulmus americana)

Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumila)

Vitaceae

Mapleleaf Grape (Vitis acerifolia)

OKMULGEE AND DEEP FORK WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS

We initiated a series of surveys in 2017 and 2018 to conduct a biological inventory of the

Okmulgee and Deep Fork Wildlife Management Areas in collaboration with Jeff Howard (area biologist),

Steven Bray (area technician), Jeff Pennington (regional supervisor) and Bruce Burton (regional

supervisor and former area biologist for these WMAs). The authors owe a great debt of appreciation to

Jeff, Steven, Jeff, and Bruce who gave us access to the wildlife management areas, assisted with the

surveys, helped us identify representative habitats across the WMAs and provided incidental observations

of species that they observed on the areas but that we were unable to detect during the survey

Okmulgee Wildlife Management Area is approximately 10,900 acres in size and lies in Okmulgee

County, Oklahoma approximately five miles west of the town of Okmulgee (Figure 1). The area consists

of rocky hillsides comprised of sandstone and covered by oak-dominated woodlands. Post Oak (Quercus

stellata), Blackjack Oak (Quercus marilandica), Black Hickory (Carya texana) and Winged Elm (Ulmus

alata) are the most common trees in these woodlands. Despite the short stature of most of these trees, the

upland woodlands are very mature and many of their Post Oak trees exceed 200 years of age. The Deep

Fork River, a tributary of the North Canadian River, bisects the wildlife management area and its flood

plain supports mature bottomland hardwood forest comprised of a diversity of trees including Pin Oak

(Quercus palustris), Pecan (Carya illinoenensis), Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), River Birch (Betula

nigra), and Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa). The area includes several natural and man-made wetlands in

the floodplains of the Deep Fork River and its tributaries; these are dominated by several forbs as well as

Swamp Privet (Forestiera acuminata) and Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). On the

west side of the wildlife management area is a tallgrass prairie remnant that is managed as a hay meadow

with several bands of shrubland habitats within it and around its edges. The Deep Fork Wildlife

Management Area is comprised of approximately 11,000 acres in ten tracts scattered along the Deep Fork

River in Creek and Okfuskee counties. Approximately one third of the area is forested bottomland habitat

dominated by oaks, pecans, elms and sycamores, while the remaining acreage is vegetated by upland oak

woodlands and early succession habitat. Because of the logistical challenges of traveling between the

widely spaced units of the Deep Fork WMA, we spent a relatively small proportion of the survey effort

on this area and focused our work on the larger unit that is Okmulgee WMA.

The primary project personnel for the biological surveys were Curtis Tackett, Mark Howery, Jena

Donnell, Matt Fullerton, and Russ Horton. Jeff Pennington, Jeff Howard, Bruce Burton and Steven Bray

assisted with two or more surveys each, and during the wintering bird survey we had the help of Jennifer

D'Agostino, Jordan Long, Erik Kalen and Courtney Tennison from the Oklahoma City Zoo. We

conducted 14 short-duration surveys on Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMA during 2017 and 2018 as follows:

11 January 2017 12 and 13 July 2017

30 January - 2 February 2017 28 and 29 March 2018

8 March 2017 10 April 2018

30 and 31March 2017 6 – 8 June 2018

18 and 19 April 2017 17 and 18 July 2018

10 May 2017 16 and 21 August 2018

16 and 17 May 2017 27 September 2018

Our techniques varied between surveys based upon the focal taxa for that season. The most

commonly used technique was the timed-search in which observers walked through specific habitats for a

predetermined length of time (typically for 30 to 60 minutes at a time) and recorded every vertebrate that

was seen or heard (in the case of birds and anurans). This was a very effective technique for surveying

birds but was only moderately successful for surveying the other terrestrial vertebrate groups. During

timed searches in March, April, and May, we lifted and searched under rocks and fallen logs to find

Figure 1. Map of Okmulgee Wildlife Management Area

amphibians and reptiles and searched small ponds with dip nets for amphibian larvae and adults. We used

dip nets and minnow traps to sample fish populations. To assess the small mammal community, we used

Sherman live traps baited with chicken scratch, black oil sunflower seeds and rolled oats to capture,

record, and release rodents. Small mammal trapping was conducted in April and May of 2017 and in

March and July of 2018. During the June 2018 survey (bird nesting season) we conducted a series of 44

5-minute point-counts along the WMA’s roads to assess the breeding bird community. In August of

2018, we conducted a survey for fish in two shallow, tributary streams to the Deep Fork River by seining

and later using a backpack electrofishing device with dip nets.

Each survey trip had a different focus that targeted specific species groups. The winter surveys

focused on the bird community and a few mammal observations were made incidentally. The spring

surveys were focused on amphibians and reptiles, although bird observations were made secondarily, and

small mammal trapping occurred during three of those surveys. The summer survey was focused the

assessment of the breeding bird community, although incidental observations of reptiles and amphibians

were recorded, and a particular effort was made to listen for calling anurans at night. Collectively, the

level of effort expended on Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMA during 2017 and 2018 equaled 23.5 hours of

diurnal timed-searches on foot with an emphasis on amphibians and reptiles; 9.5 hours of diurnal timed-

searches by vehicle with an emphasis on reptiles; 8.5 hours of nocturnal timed-searches during six nights

with an emphasis on amphibians; 21.5 hours of timed searches with a focus on spring/summer birds; 222

small mammal trap nights at nine locations; 2.0 hours of timed-searches netting for fish; 35.5 hours of

timed-searches for wintering birds, and 44 five-minute point-counts for breeding birds.

Although we recorded all vertebrates observed or heard during our surveys, the surveys were

designed with a special emphasis on species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) as defined by the

Oklahoma Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. Prior to the survey, we identified 18 SGCN

that might occur on Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMA including: Alligator Snapping Turtle, Ouachita Map

Turtle, Bald Eagle, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Northern Bobwhite, American Woodcock, Red-

headed Woodpecker, Bell's Vireo, Prothonotary Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Kentucky Warbler,

Rusty Blackbird, Painted Bunting, Harris's Sparrow, LeConte's Sparrow, Prairie Mole Cricket, and

Arogos Skipper. During the inventory, we detected eleven of these species – Ouachita Map Turtle, Bald

Eagle, Northern Bobwhite, Red-headed Woodpecker, Bell's Vireo, Prothonotary Warbler, Kentucky

Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Rusty Blackbird, Painted Bunting, and Harris's Sparrow - plus

Swainson’s Warbler, and Redfin Darter that we did not expect.

Amphibians

The potential amphibian community on Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMA includes two salamanders

(Central Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) and Smallmouth Salamander (Ambystoma texanum)), and

eleven species of anurans. We detected eight or nine species of amphibians (we could not accurately

distinguish the calls of the two species of gray treefrogs, so we can’t confirm which species is/are

present). One of the amphibian species was a species of greatest conservation need – the Crawfish Frog

(Lithobates aereolata). During the evening of 28 March 2018, we heard Crawfish Frogs calling from five

locations near the WMA and located at least two calling males within crayfish burrows in the prairie hay

meadow on the western boundary of the WMA. A rain event had occurred the day before this survey and

the weather conditions were warm and humid during the night when we heard the frogs calling. There

were also numerous Cajun Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris fouquettei) and Dwarf American Toads (Anaxyrus

americanus charlesmithi) calling that night. Nocturnal listening surveys for anurans were very effective

when wet weather conditions existed. We were able to find, by sound, multiple choruses of Cajun Chorus

Frog, Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephala utricularia), Great Plains Narrowmouth Toad

(Gastrophryne olivacea), Dwarf American Toad, Blanchard’s Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi) and Gray

and/or Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor and/or H. chrysoscelis). We observed a small percentage

of our amphibians during the timed-search sessions in which we lifted rocks and logs, but most of our

diurnal and nocturnal amphibian detections occurred by hearing calling males.

Table 1. Summary of Adult Amphibian Detections on Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMAs.

Diurnal Nocturnal

Common Name Timed-Searches Timed-Searches

Dwarf American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus charlesmithi) 7 29

Great Plains Narrowmouth Toad (Gastrophryne olivacea) 4 26

Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi) 24 44

Cajun Chorus Frog (Pseudacris fouquettei) 14 252

Gray & Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis 23 62

& Hyla versicolor)

Crawfish Frog (Lithobates aereolata) 2

Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephala utricularia) 17 74

American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana) 1 3

Reptiles

Okmulgee WMA contains an abundance of rocks and fallen logs that serve as ground-level cover

for small reptiles, as well as amphibians. Because of this, we did not attempt to place any cover boards

on the area. Most of our reptile detections were made by lifting, looking under, and replacing rocks and

logs during timed-searches in the spring. This accounted for most of our detections of skinks in the genus

Plestiodon and small snakes (e.g. Western Wormsnake (Carphophis vermis), Ring-necked Snake

(Diadophis punctatus), Flathead Snake (Tantilla gracilis), Rough Earthsnake (Virginia striatula), and

Smooth Earthsnake (Virginia valeriae)). The Southern Prairie Skink (Plestiodon septentrionalis) and

Western Wormsnake (Carphophis vermis) observations were noteworthy to us because both are fossorial

species that are rarely encountered. It is likely that the Northern Scarlet Snake (Cemophora coccinea

copei) occurs on the WMA, but this species is rare, secretive and fossorial making it difficult to detect

even in places where it is present.

Most of our encounters with the larger snake species, Collared Lizards (Crotaphytus collaris),

and Prairie Racerunners (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus viridis) were opportunistic and many of these

animals were observed on or along WMA roads. We found that slowly driving WMA roads in the mid-

morning and late afternoons was an effective way to locate these reptiles, although our encounter rates

were only about one animal an hour. All of the Eastern Collared Lizards that we found were observed as

they basked on rocks along four segments of WMA roads. Roughly half of our Prairie Lizard (Sceloporus

consobrinus) observations were of basking animals on rocks and logs as well. Our observations of

Eastern Racer (Coluber constrictor), Eastern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon platirhinos), Prairie

Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster), Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum), Western Black Ratsnake

(Patherophis obsoletus), Western Pygmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius) and two of the Copperheads

(Agkistrodon contortrix) were animals that we observed basking on or crossing roads.

Our turtle observations were generally opportunistic. We located all of the aquatic turtles in three

ponds and two sites on the Deep Fork River where there were log piles that provided basking sites. The

eleven Three-toed Box Turtle observations were at scattered locations with about half of the animals

observed along roads and about half observed during timed-searches on foot. Altogether, we documented

five species of turtles from a potential community of nine species. We documented six species of lizards

from a potential community of seven species; the Western Slender Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus)

almost certainly occurs on the area but we did not find any. We documented 17 species of snakes out of a

potential community of 28 species.

Although not recorded in Table 2. Bruce Burton, Steven Bray and Jeff Howard reported other

reptile species to us that they had observed on the WMA in recent years but were not seen by us during

the scheduled surveys. These species were the Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina), Spiny

Softshell (Apalone spinifera), Speckled Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula), Diamond-backed Watersnake

(Nerodia rhombifer), and Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus).

Table 2. Summary of Reptile Detections on Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMAs.

Diurnal Nocturnal

Common Name Timed-Searches Timed-Searches

Stinkpot (Sternotherus odortus) 1 (shell found)

Ouachita Map Turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis) 2

Eastern River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna) 2

Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) 54

Three-toed Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) 11

Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris) 12

Prairie (Fence) Lizard (Sceloporus consobrinus) 21

Prairie Racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus) 5

Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) 6

Southern Prairie Skink (Plestiodon septentrionalis) 1

Brown Skink (Scincella lateralis) 18

Western Wormsnake (Carphophis vermis) 2

Eastern Racer (Coluber constrictor) 4

Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus) 3

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon platirhinos) 1

Prairie Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster) 1

Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum) 2

Plain-bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster) 2

Rough Greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus) 3

Western Black Ratsnake (Patherophis obsoletus) 1

Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi) 1

Flathead Snake (Tantilla gracilis) 10

Western Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis proximus) 1

Rough Earthsnake (Virginia striatula) 7

Smooth Earthsnake (Virginia valeriae) 2

Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) 2 2

Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) 1

Western Pygmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius) 1

Mammals

As many as 38 species of native mammals potentially occur on and in the vicinity of Okmulgee

and Deep Fork Wildlife Management Areas, with bats (6 species) and rodents (16 species) comprising

more than half of these. Although our survey methods were not designed to target game mammals (e.g.

White-tailed Deer and furbearers), we recorded sightings of these animals during our timed-search

surveys and noted identifiable tracks of furbearers to record their presence. We did not use any survey

methods that targeted bats (e.g. evening mist-netting over water and in forest openings), but we observed

four bats incidentally during evening surveys for calling amphibians. On July 5, 2017, the staff of the

neighboring Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge conducted an acoustic survey for bats and a portion of

their route crossed through Okmulgee WMA. On the WMA, they recorded vocalizations for at least two

Eastern Red Bats and one Evening Bat. While we can't positively identify the bats that we observed

during our survey, we can infer that these were likely to be Eastern Red Bats and/or Evening Bats because

of their location and habitat similarity to the bats that were identified during the USFWS survey. If we

include the data from the USFWS acoustic bat survey, 21 species of mammals were detected on

Okmulgee and Deep Fork WMAs during our inventory (Table 3). Most of these mammals were

encountered opportunistically while conducting timed searches for birds, reptiles and amphibians;

however, 47 individual rodents of five species were live-trapped during 222 trap nights of effort at nine

locations (average trap success of 21.2%).

Four Nine-banded Armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus), five Eastern Cottontails (Sylvilagus

floridanus), one Swamp Rabbit, ten Fox Squirrels (Sciurus niger), and nine Gray Squirrels (Sciurus

carolinensis) were encountered during diurnal timed searches for birds, amphibians, and reptiles.

Additionally, a group of three River Otters (Lutra canadensis) was observed in the Deep Fork River

during our wintering bird survey. Two Virginia Opossums (Didelphis virginiana), two Nine-banded

Armadillo, ten Eastern Cottontails, one Raccoon (Procyon lotor), and one Striped Skunk (Mephitis

mephitis) were observed during nocturnal surveys for calling anurans during the March, April, May and

June surveys. Although we observed at least nine White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

opportunistically, the local population of this species is monitored with much greater precision by Jeff

Howard and Steven Bray than we could hope to accomplish through this project.

Sherman live-traps were used as our method for assessing the rodent population. We set live

traps at nine locations during five nights of trapping for a total trapping effort of 222 trap nights. Our

overall trapping success fairly high (21.2%), but our rodent diversity was low. The rodent community at

our trapping locations appeared to be strongly dominated by the White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus

leucopus). Of the 47 rodents that we captured and released, 31 (66%) were White-footed Mice. The

remaining rodents were eleven Hispid Cotton Rats (Sigmodon hispidus), three Eastern Woodrats

(Neotoma floridana), one Fulvous Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys fulvescens), and one North American

Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus). Based upon existing museum records from Okmulgee and

surrounding counties, it appears that only three other rodent species are likely to occur on the area –

Hispid Pocket Mouse (Perognathus hispidus), Texas Brush Mouse (Peromyscus attwateri), and

Woodland Vole (Microtus pinetorum).

Table 3. Summary of Mammals Detected on Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMAs

Common Name Diurnal Timed Nocturnal Timed Live

Searches Searches Traps

Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) Multiple Track Lines 2

Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus) Multiple Tunnels

Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis) 2 (USFWS)

Evening Bat (Nycticeius humeralis) 1 (USFWS)

unidentified bat 4

Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) 4 2

Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) 5 10

Swamp Rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus) 1

Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) 10

Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) 9

Fulvous Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys fulvescens) 1

White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) 31

North American Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) 1

Hispid Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) 11

Eastern Woodrat (Neotoma floridana) 3

American Beaver (Castor canadensis) 1

Coyote (Canis latrans) Multiple Track Lines

Raccoon (Procyon lotor) Multiple Track Lines 1

Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) Multiple Track Lines 1

River Otter (Lutra canadensis) 3

Bobcat (Felis rufa) Multiple Track Lines

White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) 4 5

Birds

Birds are the largest group of vertebrates in Oklahoma and they represented over 70% of the

vertebrate species that we documented. The results below are divided into three sections: Wintering

Season (based upon data from our January and February surveys); Spring Season (based upon data from

our March, April and May surveys, and Breeding Season (based upon data collected during our early July

survey). Across all three seasons, 99 species of birds were detected on the two management areas during

the course of our surveys.

Wintering Bird Community

The wintering bird community on Okmulgee and Deep Fork WMAs was measured through a

series of timed searches that were conducted by teams of three or five observers on 11, 30, and 31

January, and 1 and 2 February 2017. During these surveys, the teams walked prescribed areas and drove

WMA interior roads recording every bird that they could identify by sight and/or sound. Fifty-eight

species of wintering birds were recorded during this survey (Table 4). The most frequently encountered

species were the White-throated Sparrow (286), American Robin (198), Dark-eyed Junco (168), Tufted

Titmouse (154) and Northern Cardinal (127). All of these are species that commonly travel in flocks, and

in the case of Tufted Titmice, are frequently vocal. Noteworthy observations, because of their rarity

and/or secretive behavior, were three Brown Creepers, two Marsh Wrens, four Brown Thrashers, eight

Hermit Thrushes, and five Swamp Sparrows. Two species of greatest conservation need that were

noteworthy were the Red-headed Woodpecker and Rusty Blackbird. Red-headed Woodpeckers were

unusually abundant during the winter of 2016/2017 on both areas and we observed at least 53 individuals.

These birds were seen in nearly every tract of forested habitat that we surveyed and were especially

numerous in the hardwood bottomlands along the Deep Fork River. In contrast to the wintering numbers,

Red-headed Woodpeckers were uncommon during our spring and summer surveys, indicating that the

nesting population on the WMAs is relatively small. Red-headed Woodpeckers are someone nomadic

during the winter months and birds move into central and eastern Oklahoma from nesting populations in

western Oklahoma and states north of Oklahoma. Two flocks of Rusty Blackbirds were observed during

the survey - one on a unit of the Deep Fork WMA and the other on the Okmulgee WMA. In both

situations, the birds were observed in forested bottomland habitat associated with wetland units. We

observed two Harris's Sparrows in an old-field habitat on one unit of the Deep Fork WMA but did not

observe this species on Okmulgee WMA. We searched two prairie sites on Okmulgee WMA for

LeConte's Sparrows but were unsuccessful in flushing or observing any. As a result of a dry, regional

weather pattern that persisted from late September 2016 through February 2017, most of the wetland

habitats on both areas were dry. This contributed to the relatively small number of waterfowl that we

observed, although we were fortunate to find four Wilson's Snipe in a partially dry unit.

Table 4. Summary of Winter Bird Community on Okmulgee and Deep Fork WMAs 2017 (Based

on 35.5 Hours of Timed Searches)

Common Name # Seen/Heard

January / February 2017

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 4

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 3

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 21

American Wigeon (Anas americana) 2

Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) 4

Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) 4

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 3

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 18

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) 2

Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) 1

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) 9

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 9

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 2

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 1

Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) 4

Barred Owl (Strix varia) 1

Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) 1

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 53

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 33

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) 15

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 26

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 25

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) 10

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 1

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 49

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 43

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) 97

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 154

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 18

Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) 3

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 49

Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) 2

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) 7

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) 4

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 5

Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 1

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 81

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 198

Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) 8

Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) 3

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 8

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 127

Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythropthalmus) 22

Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) 2

Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 168

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) 13

Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) 14

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 41

Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) 1

Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 5

Harris's Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) 2

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) 2

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 286

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) 18

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 28

Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) 24

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscala) 2

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) 7

Spring Birds (Transition between Winter and Summer Seasons)

We conducted timed-searches for birds in March, April, and May on dates which corresponded to

the early, middle and later portions of the spring migration period. The results of these surveys are

combined and summarized in Table 5. The summary is not a completely accurate representation of the

relative abundances of birds during the spring, because it is biased toward the year-round resident (e.g.

Tufted Titmouse and Northern Cardinal), and the early-arriving (e.g. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Common

Yellowthroat) species because they had the potential to be recorded on two or more of the surveys. To

help place these species in context, the residence status of each one is shown. Bird species were classified

as year-round residents, winter visitors (that lingered into the early spring), early-arriving summer

residents (breeding species that arrive in March and early April), later-arriving summer residents

(breeding species that arrive between mid-April and mid-May), or migrants (species which neither winter

nor breed in the region).

The list of spring birds provides some insights into the breeding bird community because it

includes early-nesting species such as the Black-and-White Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler and White-

eyed Vireo that had largely finished their nesting season when our breeding bird survey was conducted. It

also lists some of the more common migrants that pass through the area in the spring en-route to their

breeding range north of Oklahoma (e.g. Lesser Yellowlegs, Gray Catbird, Swainson's Thrush, Orange-

crowned Warbler and Chipping Sparrow).

Table 5. Spring Birds on Okmulgee and Deep Fork WMAs. (Based on 21.5 Hours of Timed

Searches for Birds and Incidental Observation During 21.0 Hours of Timed Searches for

Amphibians and Reptiles)

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 2 (year-round resident)

Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 2 (winter resident)

Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 6 (winter resident)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 4 (year-round resident)

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 7 (year-round resident)

Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) 11 (migrant)

Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) 21 (winter resident)

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1 (year-round resident)

Great Egret (Ardea alba) 2 (early-arriving summer resident)

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 16 (year-round resident)

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) 2 (year-round resident)

Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) 1 (later arriving summer resident)

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) 1 (year-round resident)

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 2 (year-round resident)

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 1 (winter resident)

Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 1 (migrant)

Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) 2 (migrant)

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 2 (year-round resident)

Barred Owl (Strix varia) 2 (year-round resident)

Eastern Screech-Owl (Otus asio) 2 (year-round resident)

Chuck-wills-widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis) 2 (later arriving summer resident)

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archiochus colubris) 1 (later arriving summer resident)

Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) 1 (year-round resident)

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 2 (year-round resident)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 17 (year-round resident)

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 11 (year-round resident)

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) 5 (year-round resident)

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 3 (winter resident)

Eastern Wood Pewee (Contopus virens) 6 (later arriving summer resident)

Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) 3 (later arriving summer resident)

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) 8 (later arriving summer resident)

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) 3 (early-arriving summer resident)

White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) 22 (early-arriving summer resident)

Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii) 3 (later arriving summer resident)

Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 15 (later arriving summer resident)

Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius) 2 (migrant)

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 5 (year-round resident)

Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) 2 (later arriving summer resident)

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 6 (year-round resident)

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) 51 (year-round resident)

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 97 (year-round resident)

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 8 (year-round resident)

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 53 (year-round resident)

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) 4 (year-round resident)

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) 1 (migrant)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 88 (early-arriving summer resident)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 5 (winter resident)

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 17 (year-round resident)

Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) 4 (migrant)

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 19 (winter resident)

Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla) 1 (migrant)

Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata) 3 (migrant)

Black and White Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 21 (early-arriving summer resident)

Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) 3 (later arriving summer resident)

Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 6 (early-arriving summer resident)

Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) 2 (early-arriving summer resident)

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 14 (winter resident)

American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 1 (migrant)

Kentucky Warbler (Geothlypis formosa) 2 (later arriving summer resident)

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 11 (early-arriving summer resident)

Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) 7 (later arriving summer resident)

Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) 18 (later arriving summer resident)

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 97 (year-round resident)

Blue Grosbeak (Guiraca caerulea) 1 (later arriving summer resident)

Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 17 (later arriving summer resident)

Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) 1 (later arriving summer resident)

Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) 3 (winter resident)

Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) 1 (later arriving summer resident)

Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 17 (winter resident)

Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 4 (migrant)

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) 21 (year-round resident)

Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) 1 (winter resident)

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 5 (winter resident)

Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) 1 (winter resident)

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 43 (winter resident)

Harris’s Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) 2 (winter resident)

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) 7 (winter resident)

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscala) 1 (year-round resident)

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 6 (year-round resident)

Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) 4 (later arriving summer resident)

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) 24 (year-round resident)

Breeding Bird Community

We used road-based, five-minute point counts as our primary tool for assessing the relative

abundance and composition of the Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMA breeding bird community. We identified

and recorded every bird that was seen or heard during a five-minute period at 44 locations. These point

counts between 6:10 am (approximately 20 minutes after sunrise) and 10:30 am on the mornings of 7 and

8 June 2018. The point count locations were placed along WMA roads and were spaced at intervals of 0.4

miles to maximize the number of stops that could be made while minimizing the potential for double-

recording birds. Because we did not begin the point counts until shortly after sunrise, we did not detect

any nocturnal birds such as Chuck-wills-widows, despite the fact this species appears to be common in

forested habitats on the WMA based upon the numbers that we heard during our evening amphibian

surveys. We attempted to sample the range of habitat conditions on the wildlife management area in

approximate proportion to their abundance; however, bottomland habitats were under-sampled because

the area's roads are laid out to avoid these habitats because of the greater maintenance needed for roads in

flood plains. Point-counts are an effective technique for measuring the frequency of occurrence and

relative abundances of most songbirds, but they are often less effective for detecting rare songbirds and

species that do not sing to signal the boundaries of their territories (e.g. Wild Turkeys, woodpeckers and

raptors, which may appear to be less common than they probably are). On 13 and 14 July 2017, we

conducted point-counts at 26 locations on Okmulgee WMA; however, those dates were later than ideal

and some species that nest early in the summer season had already completed their nesting cycle and were

not vocal. Additionally, the greater heat in July caused us to end our surveys earlier in the morning and

fewer point-counts were conducted. Few individual birds and fewer species were detected during the

2017 point-counts (40 species in 2017 versus 58 species in 2018) so we omitted the 2017 data and

replaced it with the 2018 data. Only one species, a single Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii) was detected in 2017

and not in 2018. However, a Bell’s Vireo was heard incidentally in 2018 while driving between two

point-count stations. We kept records of incidental bird observations during July of 2018 and June of

2017 to supplement the breeding bird data because we assumed that not every nesting bird on the WMA

would be detected at a point-count location. Even with 44 point-count stations, 15 of the 58 bird species

that we documented were found at only one location.

Fifty-eight species of birds were detected at the 44 point-count stations (Table 6). We divided the

point-count stations into three groups based upon their habitat and the slightly different breeding bird

communities. Six of the point-count stations were located in sites that were dominated by prairie (two of

these were adjacent to a native prairie hay meadow) or shrubby old-field habitat. A site was considered to

be grassland/shrubland if more than 50% of the area within a 200-meter radius of the point was

dominated by grassland or old-field vegetation. Another 14 point-count stations were located in

bottomland forest or adjacent to riparian forest. A site was included within this category if at least 25% of

the landcover within a 200-meter radius of the point-count’s center was in riparian or bottomland forest.

The remaining 24 point-count stations were classified as oak woodland or forest, and each of these sites

occurred in an upland location and contained more than 50% oak-dominated canopy within a 200-meter

radius of the point-count’s center. Within Table 5, the number of individual birds of each species is listed

followed by the average number of individuals per point-count station for that species.

The most common birds in the upland oak woodland and forest habitats were Tufted Titmouse,

Northern Cardinal, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Indigo Bunting, Summer Tanager, Yellow-billed Cuckoo,

Carolina Wren and Red-eyed Vireo. Each of these species was represented by an average of ≥0.9 and

≥2.0 individuals per point-count station. Eastern Wood Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern

Bluebird and Black-and-White Warbler reached their highest frequencies of occurrence in oak woodland

and forest habitats. The most common birds in the bottomland forest and riparian forest point count sites

were Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, White-eyed Vireo,

and Carolina Wren. Each of these species was detected at a frequency of more than one individual per

point-count station. Several species were found exclusively in bottomland and riparian forest habitat

including Acadian Flycatcher, Northern Parula, Yellow-throated Warbler, Swainson’s Warbler, and

Prothonotary Warbler; while Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow-throated Vireo,

Carolina Chickadee, and Kentucky Warbler reached their highest frequencies of occurrence in this

habitat. The most common birds in the old-field and prairie/shrubland habitats were Indigo Bunting,

Northern Cardinal, Yellow-breasted Chat, Field Sparrow and Tufted Titmouse. Although this habitat was

relatively uncommon on Okmulgee WMA, it is the only habitat in which Northern Bobwhite, Scissor-

tailed Flycatcher, Dickcissel and American Goldfinch were found, and it is the habitat type in which

Mourning Dove, Common Yellowthroat and Blue Grosbeak reached their highest frequencies of

occurrence.

In addition to the birds that were observed during our point-counts, we observed single

individuals of Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea), Canada Goose (Branta canadensis),

Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus), and Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii) either while driving between point-

count stops or while scouting the roads the evening before. During nocturnal surveys for calling frogs in

July of 2017 and June of 2018, we heard multiple Chuck-wills-widows callings, thus raising the number

of nesting species to at least 63. Based upon their occurrence during our surveys in March, April and

May, at least another seven species of birds are likely to nest on Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMA including

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa), Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus), Eastern

Screech-Owl (Otus asio), Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), Northern Rough-winged Swallow

(Stelgidopteryx serripennis), and Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum).

Seven of the breeding birds on Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMA are species of greatest conservation

need in Oklahoma – Northern Bobwhite, Bell’s Vireo, Prothonotary Warbler, Swainson’s Warbler,

Kentucky Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), and Painted Bunting. The Swainson’s

Warbler is the rarest of these species and was found in bottomland hardwood forest along the Deep Fork

River (this species is known to nest in fewer than ten locations in Oklahoma). The Painted Bunting was

the most commonly detected species of greatest conservation need and was found in open oak woodlands,

old-field sites and in openings in bottomland forest. The Kentucky Warbler was the second most

commonly detected species and was found in both upland oak forest and bottomland forest sites. The

Northern Bobwhite and Bell’s Vireo are rare on the area and appear to be limited to the hay meadow and

old-field habitat on the west side of Okmulgee WMA. The Prothonotary Warbler and Louisiana

Waterthrush were found in the same bottomland forest habitat as the Swainson’s Warbler.

Table 6. Summary of 5-minute Point Counts for Assessing Breeding Birds on Okmulgee WMA.

Common Name Upland Oak Bottomland Grassland/

Forest Forest Savannah

# Stops 24 14 6

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 2 (0.08)

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) 2 (0.33)

Great Egret (Ardea alba) 1 (0.07)

Green Heron (Butorides virescens) 1 (0.07)

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 1 (0.04) 1 (0.07) 1 (0.17)

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) 1 (0.17)

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1 (0.04)

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) 1 (0.07)

Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) 1 (0.07)

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 10 (0.42) 5 (0.36) 3 (0.50)

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) 30 (1.25) 9 (0.64) 2 (0.33)

Barred Owl (Strix varia) 1 (0.07)

Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) 1 (0.07)

Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) 1 (0.04) 1 (0.07)

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archiochus colubris) 1 (0.04) 2 (0.14) 2 (0.33)

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 1 (0.04) 1 (0.07)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 4 (0.17) 9 (0.64) 1 (0.17)

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 3 (0.13) 1 (0.07)

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) 1 (0.04) 4 (0.29)

Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) 4 (0.29)

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 2 (0.08) 1 (0.17)

Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) 18 (0.75) 5 (0.36)

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) 11 (0.46) 5 (0.36) 1 (0.17)

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 1 (0.04)

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) 1 (0.17)

White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) 5 (0.21) 18 (1.29) 3 (0.50)

Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 22 (0.92) 20 (1.43) 1 (0.17)

Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons) 1 (0.04) 6 (0.43)

Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) 5 (0.83)

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 4 (0.17) 6 (0.43) 1 (0.17)

Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) 2 (0.17)

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 2 (0.08) 4 (0.29)

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) 2 (0.08) 6 (0.43) 2 (0.33)

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 49 (2.04) 25 (1.79) 8 (1.33)

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 3 (0.13) 1 (0.07)

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 26 (1.08) 18 (1.29) 2 (0.33)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 39 (1.63) 20 (1.43) 4 (0.67)

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 3 (0.13)

Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 8 (0.57)

Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) 1 (0.07)

Black-and-White Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 4 (0.17) 1 (0.07)

Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) 4 (0.29)

Kentucky Warbler (Geothlypis formosus) 2 (0.08) 4 (0.29)

Swainson’s Warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii) 1 (0.07)

Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) 1 (0.07)

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 1 (0.04) 2 (0.14) 5 (0.83)

Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) 7 (0.29) 5 (0.36) 9 (1.50)

Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) 30 (1.25) 9 (0.64)

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 41 (1.71) 28 (2.0) 9 (1.50)

Blue Grosbeak (Guiraca caerulea) 2 (0.08) 1 (0.17)

Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 33 (1.38) 12 (0.86) 10 (1.67)

Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) 7 (0.29) 2 (0.14) 2 (0.33)

Dickcissel (Spiza americana) 2 (0.33)

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) 9 (0.38) 7 (1.17)

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscala) 2 (0.08)

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 8 (0.33) 2 (0.33)

Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) 1 (0.04)

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) 2 (0.33)

Fish

We conducted a fish survey in one large pond near the west entrance (Entrance #4) of Okmulgee

WMA that appeared to be representative of the ponds on the area. We placed a series of six minnow traps

along the edge of the pond in vegetation and left them in place for approximately 16 hours. We captured

four species of common fish – 13 Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), 2 Redear Sunfish (Lepomis

microlophus), 6 Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus), 9 Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and 3 fish that

appeared to be Green Sunfish X Bluegill hybrids. We also placed six minnow traps in one of the

WMA’s wetland units inside Entrance #4. In these we captured another 8 Western Mosquitofish, 18

Southern Leopard Frog tadpoles (Lithobates sphenocephala utricularia), 3 Gray Treefrog tadpoles (Hyla

sp.), 32 Dwarf American Toad tadpoles (Anaxyrus americanus charlesmithi) and 29 White River Crayfish

(Procambarus acutus).

A second fish survey was conducted on a small tributary of the Deep Fork River in a location that

was relatively shallow and open such that it could be seined easily. In one pool, we used a backpack

electrofishing device to stun fish and dip them out with nets to identify them. The fish were collected in

five-gallon buckets, identified and then released back into the stream after we were finished. In another

pool immediately upstream, we used a seine to capture fish in 10, 10-meter seine hauls. Despite the small

size of the tributary, we were surprised to capture 17 species of fish (Table 7). The fish that were

captured are typical of streams in the Cross Timbers Region of eastern Oklahoma and most of them are

tolerant of turbid, warm water conditions with limited flow during the summer months. One species that

we caught, the Redfin Darter (Etheostoma whipplei), was a species of greatest conservation need. This

fish is not rare, but it is regionally endemic to streams in the Arkansas River Valley of Oklahoma and

Arkansas.

Table 7. Fish Captured in Deep Fork River Tributary on Okmulgee WMA

Central Stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum) 3

Red Shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) 9

Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) 3

Emerald Shiner (Notropis atherinoides) 1

Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas) 1

Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) 126

Brook Silverside (Labidesthes sicculus) 8

Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) 5

Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus) 14

Orangespot Sunfish (Lepomis humilis) 3

Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) 53

Longear Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) 3

Redear Sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) 17

Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) 2

White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis) 4

Slough Darter (Etheostoma gracile) 3

Redfin Darter (Etheostoma whipplei) 1

Invertebrates

We did not place an emphasis on invertebrate surveys on Okmulgee and Deep Fork WMAs;

however, we listened for Prairie Mole Crickets (Gryllotalpa major) during the April 2017 survey in the

prairie tract on the west side of Okmulgee WMA. We were not successful in detecting mole crickets, but

the weather conditions may have been too cool that night and not ideal. We also maintained an incidental

list of the butterfly species that were encountered during our vertebrate surveys. Fifty-three species were

observed on the area and these are listed in Table 8. While the diversity of butterflies was high, none of

the species that we documented are species of greatest conservation need.

Table 8. Butterflies Observed on Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMAs 2017

Common Name / (Scientific Name) Common Name / (Scientific Name)

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)

Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea)

Checkered White (Pontia protodice)

Giant Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)

Alfalfa Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)

Common Sulphur (Colias philodice)

Southern Dogface (Colias cesonia)

Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)

Little Yellow (Eurema lisa)

Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)

Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)

Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)

Eastern Tailed Blue (Everes comyntas)

Reakirt's Blue (Hemiargus isola)

American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)

Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Goatweed Leafwing (Anaea andria)

Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanilla)

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)

Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)

Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)

Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)

Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)

Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)

American Painted Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)

Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)

Common Wood Nymph (Cercyonis pegala)

Northern Pearly Eye (Enodia anthedon)

Gemmed Satyr (Cyllopsis gemma)

Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela)

Carolina Satyr (Hermeuptychia sosybius)

Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus ciarus)

Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades)

Southern Cloudywing (Thorybes bathyllus)

Scalloped Sootywing (Staphylus hayhurstii)

Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo)

Juvenile’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis)

Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)

Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae)

Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)

Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)

Comm. Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus communis)

Southern Broken Dash Skipper (Wallengrenia

otho)

Sachem Skipper (Atalopedes campestris)

Tawny-edged Skipper (Polites themistocles)

Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan)

Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris)

Common Roadside Skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis)

Plants

To the best of our ability, we tried to document the plant species on Okmulgee and Deep Fork

Wildlife Management Areas. The list shown in Table 7 does not represent an exhaustive survey effort,

but instead it provides an indication of the more common plants on the area.

Table 9. Plant Species, Arranged by Family, Documented on Okmulgee/Deep Fork WMAs.

Herbaceous Plants

Aspleniaceae

Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)

Azollaceae

Carolina Mosquitofern (Azolla caroliniana)

Dryopteridaceae

Marginal Wood Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)

Equisetaceae

Field Horsetail (Equisetum hyemale)

Ophioglossaceae

Adder-tongue Fern (Ophioglossum sp.)

Agavaceae

Soapweed Yucca (Yucca glauca)

Commelinaceae

Slender Day-Flower (Commelina erecta)

Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)

Iridaceae

Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium

angustifolium)

Juncaceae

Grassleaf Rush (Juncus marginatus)

Liliaceae

Wild Onion (Allium canadense)

Eastern Wild Hyacinth (Camassia scilloides)

Rain Lily (Cooperia drummondii)

White Dogtooth Lilly (Erythronium albidum)

Yellow Star Grass (Hypoxis hirsuta)

False Garlic (Nothoscordum bivalve)

Poaceae

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Broomsedge Bluestem (Andropogon virginicus)

Broadleaf Woodoats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

Poverty Oatgrass (Dianthonia spicata)

Scribner’s Panicgrass (Dichanthelium

oligosanthes)

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Purpletop Tridens (Tridens flavus)

Eastern Gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides)

Smilacaceae

Saw Greenbriar (Smilax bona-nox)

Acanthaceae

American Water-willow (Justica americana)

Smooth Wild Petunia (Ruellia humilis)

Amaranthaceae

Prairie Snake Cotton (Froelichia floridana)

Apiaceae

Hairyfruit Chervil (Chaerophyllum taintureri)

Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota)

Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)

Nuttall's Prairie Parsley (Polytaenia nuttallii)

Laceflower Bishopwed (Ptilimnium nuttallii)

Clustered Blacksnake root (Sanicula odorata)

Spreading Hedge Parsley (Torilis arvensis)

Apocynaceae

Prairie Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum)

Aristolochiaceae

Woolly Pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa)

Asclepiadaceae

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

Greenflower Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora)

Green Milkweed (Asclepias viridis)

Asteraceae

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima /

Eupatorium rugosum)

Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemesifolia)

Western Ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya)

Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida)

Parlin's Pussytoes (Antennaria parlinii)

Plantain-leaf Pussytoes (Antennaria

plantaginifolia)

Prairie Indian Plantain (Arnoglossum

plantaginea)

Western Daisy (Astranthium integrifolium)

Coreopsis Beggarticks (Bidens aristosa)

Soft Golden Aster (Chrysopsis (Bradburia)

pilosa)

Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum)

Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)

Mare's Tail (Conyza canadensis)

Largeflower Coreopsis (Coreopsis grandiflora)

Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)

Slender Scratch Daisy (Croptilon divaricatum)

Clasping Coneflower (Dracopis amplexicaulis)

Pale Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)

Elephant’s Foot (Elephantopus carolinianus)

American Burnweed (Erechtites hieraciifolia)

Prairie Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus)

Slender Fleabane (Erigeron tenuis)

Late Thoroughwort (Eupatorium serotinum)

Prairie Goldentop (Euthamia gymnospermoides)

Spanish Gold Gumweed (Grindelia papposa)

Bitter Sneezeweed (Helenium amarum)

Rough Sunflower (Helianthus hirsutus)

Ashy Sunflower (Helianthus mollis)

Prairie Sunflower (Helianthus petiolaris)

Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)

Woolly-White (Hymenopappus scabiosaeus)

Wild Lettuce (Lactuca canadensis)

Tall Blazing Star (Liatris aspera)

Butterweed (Packera glabella)

Roundleaf Ragwort (Packera obovata)

Sweetscent (Pluchea odorata)

Sweet Cudweed (Pseudognaphalium

obtusifolium)

False Dandelion (Pyrrhopappus carolinianus)

Great Coneflower (Rudbeckia grandiflora)

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba)

Prairie Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)

Giant Goldenrod (Solidago gigantea)

Western Rough Goldenrod (Solidago radula)

Elmleaf Goldenrod (Solidago ulmifolia)

Southern Annual Aster (Symphyotrichum

divaricatum)

Drummond’s Aster (Symphyotrichum

drummondii)

Heath Aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides)

Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laevis)

Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolius)

Late Purple Aster (Symphyotrichum patens)

Willowleaf Aster (Symphyotrichum praealtus)

Yellow Ironweed (Verbesina alternifolia)

Frostweed (Verbesina virginica)

Baldwin Ironweed (Vernonia baldwinii)

Rough Cockleburr (Xanthium strumarium)

Brassicaceae

Sand Bittercress (Cardamine parviflora)

Pepperweed species (Lepidium sp.)

Cactaceae

Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa)

Campanulaceae

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Clasping Venus Looking-glass (Triodanis

perfoliata)

Caryophyllaceae

Mouse-ear Chickweed (Cerastium glomeratum)

Common Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Clusiaceae

St. Andrew's Cross (Hypericum hypericoides)

Dwarf St. Johnswort (Hypericum mutilum)

Convolvulaceae

Small White Morning glory (Ipomoea lacunosa)

Wild Potato Vine (Ipomoea pandurata)

Euphorbiaceae

Tropical Croton (Croton glandulosus)

Warty Spurge (Euphorbia spathulata)

Fabaceae

Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens)

Longbract Wild Indigo (Baptisia bracteata)

White Wild Indigo (Baptisia lactea)

Showy Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciulata)

Butterfly Pea (Clitoria mariana)

Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpureum)

Illinois Bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis)

Smooth Ticktrefoil (Desmodium laevigatum)

Panicled Ticktrefoil (Desmodium paniculatum)

Sessileleaf Ticktrefoil (Desmodium

sessilifolium)

Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata)

Creeping Bush Clover (Lespedeza repens)

Slender Bush Clover (Lespedeza virginica)

Yellow Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis)

Nuttall's Sensitive Briar (Mimosa nuttallii)

Yellow Neptune (Neptunia lutea)

Slim-flowered Scurfpea (Psoralidium tenuiflora)

Maryland Senna (Senna marilandica)

Bladderpod (Sesbania vesicaria)

Smooth Seed Wild Bean (Strophostyles

leiosperma)

Sidebeak Pencilflower (Stylosanthes biflora)

Goat's Rue (Tephrosia virginiana)

Hop Clover (Trifolium dubium)

White Clover (Trifolium repens)

Pygmyflower Vetch (Vicia minutiflora)

Smooth Vetch (Vicia sativa)

Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa)

Fumariaceae

Smallflower Fumewort (Corydalis micrantha)

Gentianaceae

Squarestem Rose-Gentian (Sabatia angularis)

Prairie Rose-Gentian (Sabatia campestris)

Geraniaceae

Carolina Cranesbill (Geranium carolinianum)

Hydrophyllaceae

Ovate False Fiddleleaf (Hydrolea ovata)

Lamiaceae

Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule)

Wild Beebalm (Monarda fistulosa)

Spotted Beebalm (Monarda punctata)

Red-purple Beebalm (Monarda russeliana)

Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris)

Narrowleaf Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum

tenuifolium)

Pitcher Sage (Salvia azurea)

Woodland Germander (Teucrium canadense)

Lythraceae

Winged Loosestrife (Lythrum alatum)

Malvaceae

Light Poppymallow (Callirhoe alcaeoides)

Rose Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata)

Halberd-leaved Hibiscus (Hibiscus laevis)

Menispermaceae

Carolina Coralbead (Cocculus carolinus)

Onagraceae

Tall Gaura (Gaura longiflora)

Smallflower Gaura (Gaura parviflora)

Seedbox Water Primrose (Ludwigia alternifolia)

Floating Water Primrose (Ludwigia peploides)

Biennial Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)

Cutleaf Evening Primrose (Oenothera laciniata)

Threadleaf Evening Primrose (Oenothera

linifolia)

Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa)

Oxalidaceae

Yellow Wood Sorrel (Oxalis stricta)

Violet Wood Sorrel (Oxalis violacea)

Passifloraceae

Purple Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)

Phytolaccaceae

Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)

Plantaginaceae

Rugel’s Plantain (Plantago rugelii)

Dwarf Plantain (Plantago virginica)

Polemoniaceae

Prairie Phlox (Phlox pilosa)

Polygalaceae

Pink Milkwort (Polygala incarnata)

Polygonaceae

Swamp Smartweed (Polygonum

hydropiperoides)

Spotted Smartweed (Polygonum (Persicaria)

maculatum (persicaria))

Pennsylvania Smartweed (Polygonum

pennsylvanicum)

Water Smartweed (Polygonum punctatum)

Curly Dock (Rumex crispus)

Portulacaceae

Virginia Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)

Ranunculaceae

Carolina Anemone (Anemone caroliniana)

Carolina Larkspur (Delphinium carolinianum)

Buttercup (Ranunculus species)

Rosaceae

White Avens (Geum canadense)

Indian Physic (Porteranthus stipulatus)

Common Cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex)

Rubiaceae

Poorjoe Buttonweed (Diodia teres)

Bedstraw (Galium species)

Tiny Bluet (Houstonia pusilla)

Saururaceae

Lizard’s Tail (Saururus cernuus)

Scrophulariaceae

Entireleaf Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa)

Violet Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia violacea)

False Pimpernell (Lindernia dubia)

Sharpwinged Monkeyflower (Mimulus alatus)

Texas Toadflax (Nuttallanthus texanus)

Loose-flowered Penstemon (Penstemon

laxiflorus)

Oklahoma Penstemon (Penstemon

oklahomensis)

White Wand Penstemon (Penstemon tubiflorus)

Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Solanaceae

Longleaf Ground Cherry (Physalis longifolia)

Carolina Nightshade (Solanum carolinense)

Silverleaf Nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium)

Urticaceae

Heartleaf Nettle (Urtica chamaedryoides)

Valerianaceae

Beaked Cornsalad (Valerianella radiata)

Verbenaceae

Rose Verbena (Glandularia canadensis)

Lanceleaf Fogfruit (Phyla lanceolata)

Bigbract Verbena (Verbena bracteata)

White Vervain (Verbena urticifolia)

Violaceae

Field Pansy (Viola bicolor)

Missouri Blue Violet (Viola missouriensis)

Three-lobed Violet (Viola palmata)

Woody Plants:

Cupressaceae

Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Aceraceae

Boxelder (Acer negundo)

Anacardiacea

Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica)

Winged Sumac (Rhus copallina)

Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)

Aquifoliaceae

Deciduous Holly (Ilex decidua)

Betulaceae

River Birch (Betula nigra)

Bignoniaceae

Trumpetvine (Campsis radicans)

Caprifoliaceae

Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

Buckbrush (Symphoricarpos occidentalis)

Rusty Blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum)

Cornaceaae

Roughleaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii)

Ebenaceae

Common Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)

Ericaceae

Farkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum)

Blue Ridge Blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum)

Fabaceae

Swamp False Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa)

Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)

Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus)

Fagaceae

Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

Blackjack Oak (Quercus marilandica)

Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)

Post Oak (Quercus stellata)

Black Oak (Quercus velutina)

Juglandaceae

Pecan (Carya illinoinensis)

Black Hickory (Carya texana)

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Moraceae

Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)

Nyssaceae

Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica)

Oleaceae

Swamp Privet (Forestiera acuminata)

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense)

Platanaceae

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Rosaceae

Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)

Green Hawthorn (Crataegus viridis)

Chickasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia)

Oklahoma Plum (Prunus gracilis)

Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana)

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)

Pink Carolina Rose (Rosa carolina)

White Prairie Rose (Rosa foliolosa)

Sawtooth Blackberry (Rubus argutus)

Southern Dewberry (Rubus trivialis)

Rubiaceae

Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus

occidentalis)

Salicaceae

Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)

Black Willow (Salix nigra)

Sapotaceae

Chittamwood (Sideroxylon (Bumelia)

lanuginosa)

Ulmaceae

Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata)

Winged Elm (Ulmus alata)

American Elm (Ulmus americana)

Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra)

Vitaceae

Peppervine (Ampelopsis arborea)

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

Wild Grape (Vitis sp.)

COOKSON WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

We conducted a series of biological surveys on the Cookson Wildlife Management Area in

collaboration with Curt Allen and Colby Farquhar, the biologist and biological technician for the area,

respectively. The authors owe a great debt of appreciation to Curt and Colby who gave us access to

Cookson WMA, participated in the surveys for each of the taxonomic groups that were covered, helped us

identify representative habitats across the WMA and tracked incidental species that they observed on the

area but that we were unable to detect during the survey.

Cookson WMA is approximately 14,700 acres in size and lies on the county line between Adair

and Cherokee counties immediately north of their junction with Sequoyah County (Figure 1). The

topography of the area is rugged and encompasses many hills and ravines as well as Beaver Mountain

which is a ridge that is oriented north to south along the Adair/Cherokee county line. The wildlife

management area overlies the interface between the Springfield Plateau (a limestone formation) and the

Boston Mountains (a sandstone formation), and its rocky hills are comprised of layers of sandstone and

limestone. The soils over the area are part of the Clarksville series and are a cherty limestone/clay loam.

Cookson WMA encompasses portions of three watersheds. The western quarter of the area lies within the

Elk Creek watershed and a small, perennial reach of the stream flows near the western boundary of the

area behind the headquarters. The central portion of the area lies within the Dry Creek watershed and an

approximately four-mile long headwaters reach of the stream flows through the area. Both Elk Creek and

Dry Creek are tributaries of the Illinois River. The eastern and southern portions of the WMA drain into

approximately half a dozen intermittent tributaries of Sallisaw Creek which is a tributary of the Arkansas

River. At least 20 small ponds occur on the area. Many of these are seasonal, fishless pools that serve as

good breeding ponds for several species of salamanders, toads and frogs.

More than ninety percent of Cookson WMA is forested. Most of the forest and woodland stands

are dominated by oaks, hickories and ashes. Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) is a common mid-story

species on slopes. Mixed stands of Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata) and oaks grow along several dry ridge

tops and ravines. Common deciduous canopy trees include Post Oak (Quercus stellata), White Oak

(Quercus alba), Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), Black Oak (Quercus velutina), Mockernut Hickory

(Carya alba), Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata), Black Hickory (Carya texana), White Ash (Fraxinus

americana), Winged Elm (Ulmus alata), and Sugar Maple. Mesic hardwood and riparian forests occur

along the intermittent and perennial streams on the WMA. These sites contain such species as American

Basswood (Tilia americana), Sycamore (Platanus occidentalus), River Birch (Betula nigra),

Hop Hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), and Northern Spicebush (Lindera benzoin). A more complete list of

woody and herbaceous plants found on Cookson WMA is shown in Table 8.

The non-forested portions of Cookson WMA consist of several mowed and/or burned openings

and a few small food plots. These openings have been planted with a mix of exotic and native grasses

and forbs to provide forage for the area’s American Elk population. These are generally located in

relatively level sites along WMA roads in valleys between hills or on the ridge line of Beaver Mountain.

Also on the ridge of Beaver Mountain is a long, narrow oak-dominated woodland/savannah that is

maintained by prescribed fire. Until recently, most of this area was closed-canopy forest because of years

of fire suppression; however, drought in the early 2000s facilitated an outbreak of hypoxylon canker that

killed many of the trees and restored this to a more site-appropriate condition as an oak woodland.

Several rocky, limestone glades occur on the east and south sides of Beaver Mountain and on several

hillsides on the western half of the area.

Figure 1. Map of Cookson Wildlife Management Area

The primary project personnel for the surveys were Curtis Tackett, Mark Howery, Curt Allen,

Colby Farquhar, Jena Donnell, and Matt Fullerton. Brenda Smith (University of Oklahoma), Tony

Rodger, and Trevor Stark (latter two ODWC) each assisted with one survey. During both winter bird

surveys, we had help from the Oklahoma City Zoo’s staff – Jordan Long, Brett Bartek, Christine

Zbtowsky, and Lynnette Waugh in 2015, and Brett Bartek, Holly Ray, Stacey Sekscienski, Erik Calen

and Jennifer Gaddy in 2016. We conducted 12 short-duration surveys on the area as follows:

14 December 2014 22, 23, and 24 March 2016

2, 3, and 4 February 2015 21 and 22 April 2016

24, 25, and 26 March 2015 24, 25, and 26 May 2016

22, 23, and 24 June 2015 5, 6, and 7 July 2016

18, 19, and 20 November 2015 16 and 17 November 2016

2, 3, and 4 February 2016 16 March 2017

Our techniques varied between surveys based upon the focal taxa for that season. The most

commonly used technique was the timed search in which observers walked through specific habitats for a

predetermined length of time (typically for 30 to 60 minutes at a time) and recorded every vertebrate that

was seen or heard (in the case of birds and anurans). This was a very effective technique for surveying

birds but was moderately successful for surveying the other terrestrial vertebrate groups. During timed-

searches in March and April, we searched under rocks and fallen logs to find amphibians and reptiles; this

is the period of peak activity for many salamanders, lizards and small snakes. During most of the

surveys, we searched small ponds with dip nets to capture amphibian larvae and adults. We used dip nets

to sample stream fish populations in the headwaters of three streams on the WMA. To assess the small

mammal community, we used Sherman live traps baited with chicken scratch and rolled oats to capture,

record, and release rodents. Small mammal trapping occurred in June 2015, November 2015, July 2016,

and November 2016. During the June 2015 and May 2016 surveys (early summer) we conducted a series

of 5-minute point counts along the WMA roads to assess the breeding bird community.

Each survey trip was planned with a focus on one or more species groups, and the focus shifted

with the seasons as different taxa become more active. The foci for the November surveys were small

mammals (accomplished through live trapping) and salamanders (accomplished by checking ponds for

evidence of Ringed Salamander breeding). The February survey efforts were directed toward quantifying

the wintering bird community, although we also checked several ponds and two springs for fish and

amphibians and two small caves on Beaver Mountain for bats and salamanders. The emphasis during the

March and April surveys was conducting timed-searches for salamanders, lizard and small snakes in

rocky, forested habitats and glades. Assessing the breeding bird community was the focus of the late May

and June surveys, although some effort was placed into conducting timed-searches for reptiles and

amphibians. The July survey was organized around small mammal trapping and surveys for fish.

Evening surveys for calling anurans were conducted in March, April, May, and June to encompass the

range of breeding times for frog and toad species. During all surveys, we recorded incidental

observations of birds, mammals, and reptiles. The level of search effort expended during the twelve

survey trips to Cookson WMA totaled 33.5 hours of timed-searches within streams and riparian areas at

eleven sites; 27.5 hours of timed-searches in and around 11 ponds (most were searched twice); 9.5 hours

of road-based timed-searches at night listening for calling amphibians; 32.5 hours of timed-searches on

foot in upland habitat (forests and glades); 11.0 hours of road-based timed searches along roads looking

for reptiles; 380 trap nights using Sherman live-traps at 13 locations; 50.0 hours of timed-searches for

wintering birds, and 96 five-minute point-counts for breeding birds (some sites were surveyed twice).

Although we recorded all vertebrates observed or heard during our surveys, the surveys were

designed with a special emphasis on species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) as defined by the

Oklahoma Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. Prior to the survey, we identified 20 SGCN

that might occur on Cookson WMA including: Stippled Darter (E. mihileze), Wedgespot Shiner (Notropis

greeni), Oklahoma Salamander (Eurycea tynerensis), Ozark Zigzag Salamander (Plethodon

angusticlavius), Cave Salamander (Eurycea lucifuga), Grotto Salamander (Eurycea spelaea), Ringed

Salamander (Ambystoma annulatum), Ouachita Map Turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis), Bald Eagle

(Haliaeetus leucocephalus), American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), Red-headed Woodpecker

(Melanerpes erythrocephalus), Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina), Prothonotary Warbler

(Protonotaria citrea), Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), Kentucky Warbler (Geothlypis

formosa), Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivora), Rusty Blackbird (Euphaga carolina),

LeConte's Sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii), Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis) and

Ozark Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii ingens). During this inventory, we detected fourteen of

these species - Stippled Darter, Oklahoma Salamander, Cave Salamander, Ozark Zigzag Salamander,

Ringed Salamander, Bald Eagle, American Woodcock, Red-headed Woodpecker, Louisiana Waterthrush,

Kentucky Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Rusty Blackbird, LeConte's Sparrow and Ozark Big-eared Bat,

plus Ozark Emerald (Somatochlora ozarkensis).

Fish

We added to the fish community sampling that we conducted in 2015 by revisiting sites along the

South Fork of Dry Creek (in Bolin Hollow) and the spring at the headwaters of Hastings Hollow. We

also sampled along a reach of Elk Creek approximately one mile north of our 2015 sampling location.

We sampled the fish communities at these sites by conducting timed searches using dip nets. All of our

sampling occurred in headwater streams – Dry Creek is a headwater tributary to Caney Creek; Hastings

Hollow is a headwater tributary to Sallisaw Creek, and our sampling sites on Elk Creek were in that

stream’s upper-most reach. The fish communities in these streams appear to be typical of springs and

headwaters in the southern Ozark Region (Table 1). The streams were dominated by Southern Redbelly

Dace (Phoxinus erythrogaster) and a few species of minnows and darters. Although the fish community

diversity is small, one of these species, the Stippled Darter (now recognized as the Sunburst Darter

(Etheostoma mihileze)) is an Oklahoma species of greatest conservation need and was found in all three

streams.

In addition to these streams, we sampled eleven ponds on the WMA and found fish populations in

three of them. One pond supported populations of Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and Green Sunfish

(Lepomis cyanellus), one pond appeared to contain mostly Common Goldfish (Carassius auratus) and the

third pond contained a large population of Bullhead Minnows (Pimephales vigilax). Using two minnow

traps, we caught and released 134 Bullhead Minnows from the last pond, but no other fish were caught.

Table 1. Fish Species Documented in Cookson WMA Streams.

Common Name Elk Creek Dry Creek Hastings Hollow

2015 2016 2015 2016 2015 2016

Highland Stoneroller (Campostoma spadiceum) 80 7 8 30 20 0

S. Redbelly Dace (Phoxinus erythrogaster) 0 125 243 397 59 80

Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) 0 6 9 2 2 0

Slender Madtom (Noturus exilis) 0 0 0 2 0 1

Banded Sculpin (Cottus carolinae) 2 0 7 7 0 0

Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) 28 0 0 0 0 0

Orangethroat Darter (Etheostoma spectabile) 22 13 21 20 25 7

Sunburst (Stippled) Darter (E. mihileze) 2 1 2 2 2 0

Amphibians and Reptiles

We detected 17 of 23 possible amphibian species and 18 of 38 possible reptile species on

Cookson WMA. The results of those surveys for amphibians are summarized in Table 2 and the results

for reptiles are shown in Table 3. Weather conditions during each of the spring surveys were cool and

wet, which were nearly ideal for detecting many amphibians and smaller forest reptiles. Additionally,

Curt and Colby reported six reptile species to us that they had observed on Cookson WMA during the

2015-2016 survey period but that we did not find during our formal surveys. These species were Eastern

Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris) (an individual basking in a glade on the north end of Beaver

Mountain), Black Ratsnake (Elaphe obsoletus), Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos),

Speckled Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula), Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and Western Diamond-

backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox).

Table 2. Summary of Amphibian Detections on Cookson WMA.

Diurnal Nocturnal Notes

Common Name Timed Searches Timed Searches

Central Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) 114 38 includes larvae

& one eft

Ringed Salamander (Ambystoma annulatum) 2 453+ larvae

Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) 10+ egg masses

Dark-sided Salamander (Eurycea longicauda 31

melanopleura)

Cave Salamander (Eurycea lucifuga) 13

Oklahoma Salamander (Eurycea tynerensis) 202 31 (includes larvae)

Ozark Zigzag Salamander (Plethodon angusticlavius) 42

Western Slimy Salamander (Plethodon albagula) 17

Dwarf American Toad (Bufo americanus 34 93 1,000s tadpoles

charlesmithi)

Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi) 47 29

Cajun Chorus Frog (Pseudacris fouquettei) 1 25

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) 9 57

Gray & Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis 21 42

& Hyla versicolor)

American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana) 1

Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans) 2 5

Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris) 2 2

Southern Leopard Frog (Rana sphenocephala 24 27 311+ tadpoles

utricularia)

Table 3. Summary of Reptile Detections on Cookson WMA.

Diurnal

Common Name Timed Searches

Eastern Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) 1

Three-toed Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) 3

Prairie (Fence) Lizard (Sceloporus consobrinus) 15

Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) 19

Broad-headed Skink (Plestiodon laticeps) 2

Brown Skink (Scincella lateralis) 29

Western Wormsnake (Carphophis vermis) 1

Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus) 8

Red Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum syspila) 4

Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum) 1

Plain-bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster 6

flavigaster)

Rough Greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus) 2

Great Plains Ratsnake (Patherophis emoryi) 1

Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi texana) 2

Flathead Snake (Tantilla gracilis) 6

Eastern Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis) 2

Rough Earthsnake (Virginia striatula) 4

Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) 3

Our amphibian and reptile surveys documented four species that are species of greatest

conservation need in Oklahoma: Ringed Salamander (Ambystoma annulatum), Oklahoma Salamander

(Eurycea tynerensis), Cave Salamander, and Ozark Zigzag Salamander. All of these were found during

timed-searches. The Ringed Salamander is a relatively large burrowing species that breeds in seasonal

ponds during the fall. We located single adult Ringed Salamanders on two occasions in separate seasonal

ponds. One was at a pond on the ridgeline of Beaver Mountain during the November 2015 survey and the

other was in a pond near the southern base of Saddle Mountain during the February 2015 survey. We

found hundreds of larval salamanders in eight ponds during the November, February, March, and April

surveys. The Oklahoma Salamander is a small, primarily aquatic salamander that was detected during

most of our stream surveys (e.g. Dry Creek, Elk Creek, Frank Lee Spring, and Hastings Hollow Spring)

in February, March, and April, but was not found during the other months of the year. This species

appears to be very common in rocky streams and ravines in the late winter and spring but appears to move

into the gravel substrate as the weather becomes warmer and drier. We documented 233 Oklahoma

Salamanders; these were a mix of adults and larvae. The Cave Salamander has an aquatic larval stage and

is a terrestrial species as an adult. We found thirteen adult Cave Salamanders, five were under rocks and

leaf litter near springs and the other eight were found in the small caves on Beaver Mountain. The Ozark

Zigzag Salamander is a terrestrial forest salamander that undergoes its larval development while in a

terrestrial egg. We found 42 Ozark Zigzag Salamanders in over a dozen mesic forested locations. Most

of these were found by lifting rocks and logs in the early spring (March and April).

Most amphibians and reptiles were found during timed-searches, although some of the Prairie

Lizards (Sceloporus consobrinus) and larger snakes were found while driving WMA roads. The months

of March and April were by far the most productive months for finding salamanders, anurans, skinks, and

small snakes. Our survey results were based upon 33.5 hours of timed-searches within streams and

riparian areas, 27.5 hours of timed-searches in and around ponds, 9.5 hours of road-based timed-searches

at night listening for calling amphibians, 32.5 hours of timed-searches on foot in upland habitats, and

incidental observations during 11.0 hours of road-based timed searches along roads looking for reptiles,

mammals and birds. Cookson WMA contains an abundance of ground-level cover for amphibians and

small reptiles in the form of rocks and logs. Because of this, we did not attempt to place any cover boards

on the area. In forested habitats, we conducted timed searches during which we looked under loose rocks,

logs and leaf litter. We successfully located Western Slimy Salamanders, Ozark Zigzag Salamanders,

Five-lined Skinks (Plestiodon fasciatus), Brown Skinks (Scincella lateralis), Ring-necked Snakes,

Flathead Snakes Rough Earth Snakes and Rough Greensnakes. Similar timed-searches in glades revealed

Five-lined Skinks (Plestiodon fasciatus), Brown Skinks (Scincella lateralis), Red Milksnakes, Flathead

Snakes, and one each of Rough Earthsnake and Western Worm Snake. Most of our encounters with

larger snakes were opportunistic. For example, the Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum), one of the

Eastern Gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis), the Great Plains Ratsnake (Patherophis emoryi) and

one of the Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) were encountered along roads while scouting or

conducting point counts for breeding birds.

The WMA contains nearly two dozen small ponds, most of which are less than a quarter of an

acre in size, shallow, and fishless; therefore, these were ideal breeding sites for many amphibians. We

conducted winter-time and early spring surveys at twelve ponds. Nearly every pond contained Central

Newts, Dwarf American Toads, Cricket Frogs, and Southern Leopard Frogs. Ringed Salamander larvae

were found in nine ponds and Spotted Salamander egg masses were found in three ponds (two of which

also supported Ringed Salamander larvae). Spring Peepers, Cajun Chorus Frogs, Southern Leopard Frogs

and Dwarf American Toads were heard calling around ponds in February and March. Blanchard's Cricket

Frogs, Gray Treefrogs, Green Frogs and Dwarf American Toads were heard calling around ponds in April

and May. Gray Treefrogs and Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs were the only species heard during surveys in

June and July. We found only a few adult Pickerel Frogs and did not find any obvious breeding ponds.

In all cases, we found only single adults and these were distributed in a range of locations including a

tributary to Elk Creek, two small ponds, and a small cave on Beaver Mountain.

Mammals

We documented 20 species of native mammals on Cookson WMA 2016 (Table 4). Most of these

mammals were encountered opportunistically while conducting timed searches for birds, reptiles and

amphibians; however, 52 rodents of five species were trapped during 380 trap nights at nine locations

(average trap success 13.7%).

One Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), ten Eastern Cottontails (Sylvilagus

floridanus), 12 Fox Squirrels (Sciurus niger), 27 Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), 11 Eastern

Chipmunks (Tamias striatus), one White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), one Hispid Cotton Rat

(Sigmodon hispidus), one Woodland Vole (Microtus pinetorum) and one Coyote (Canis latrans) were

encountered incidentally during diurnal surveys for wintering and breeding birds, and timed-searches for

amphibians and reptiles. Two Nine-banded Armadillos, ten unidentified bats, three Eastern Cottontails,

and three Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) were observed during nocturnal surveys for calling anurans

during the March, May, and July surveys. Additionally, we observed many White-tailed Deer

(Odocoileus virginianus) and American Elk (Cervus elaphus) incidentally during our surveys but did not

track these species closely because the populations for both species are monitored closely by Curt Allen

and Colby Farquhar and with much greater precision than we could hope to accomplish through this

project. The presence of Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana), Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus),

Raccoon (Procyon lotor) and Bobcat (Felis rufa) were confirmed through the observation of tracks and

signs.

During multiple visits to two caves on Beaver Mountain in February and November, we observed

a single roosting Tri-colored Bat (Perimyotis subflavus) on one occasion and single roosting Ozark Big-

eared Bats (Corynorhinus townsendii ingens) on two occasions. These were the only bat species that we

could confirm during the survey. We did not attempt to set up mist-nets for bats on Cookson WMA

because of the presence of federally endangered species. Fortunately, the Southeastern Bat Working

Group held a Bat BioBlitz in northeastern Oklahoma in August of 2013, and mist-netted bats at five

locations on Cookson WMA. During the Bat BioBlitz, 239 bats of seven species were captured on the

WMA as follows: 155 Eastern Red Bats (Lasiurus borealis) were captured at five locations; 45 Evening

Bats (Nycticeius humeralis) were captured at five locations, 12 Northern Long-eared Bats (Myotis

septentrionalis) were captured at five locations, 9 Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus) were captured at

four locations, 9 Tri-colored Bats were captured at four locations, seven Gray Bats (Myotis grisescens)

were captured at one location (on Dry Creek), and one Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus) was captured at one

location. The identities of the ten bats that we observed during our nocturnal amphibian calling surveys

are uncertain, but the two most common species in this region are the Eastern Red Bat and the Evening

Bat and we suspect that one or both of these species comprised those unidentified bats.

We used Sherman live-traps as our primary method for detecting rodents. We set Sherman live

traps in lines at thirteen sites with a total trap effort of 380 trap nights. Trapping occurred on the surveys

in June 2015, November 2015, July 2016 and November 2016. Trapping success was low in June and

July, but high during both November surveys. Our overall trapping success was only 13.7%, but 39 out

of 52 rodents were trapped in the November attemps compared to 13 rodents trapped in the June and July

attemps. We trapped 52 rodents of five species: 17 White-footed Mice (Peromyscus leucopus), five

Fulvous Harvest Mice (Reithrodontomys fulvescens), 23 Hispid Cotton Rats (Sigmodon hispidus), five

Eastern Woodrats (Neotoma floridana), and two Woodland Voles (Microtus pinetorum). Based upon

existing museum records from the Oklahoma portion of the Ozark Highlands, it appears that only two

other rodent species are likely to occur on the area – Texas Brush Mouse (Peromyscus attwateri) and

North American Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus). The Texas Brush Mouse is often found in rocky

forested or brushy habitats, so it should be present on Cookson WMA. The North American Deer Mouse

is most often associated with grasslands so it is unlikely to occur on the area in substantial numbers.

Colby Farquhar and Curt Allen reported observations of Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys

volans), Elliot's Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina hylophaga), Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) and

American Black Bear (Ursus americanus) on Cookson WMA to confirm the presence of these species. In

addition to the native mammals that we observed/documented, we saw at least 16 Feral Hogs (Sus scrofa)

and numerous signs of wallowing and foraging pigs.

Table 4. Summary of Mammals Detected on Cookson WMA

Common Name Diurnal Timed Nocturnal Timed Live Traps

Searches Searches

Virginia Opossum Multiple Track Lines

Eastern Mole Multiple Tunnels

Tri-colored Bat 1

Ozark Big-eared Bat 2

unidentified bat 10

Nine-banded Armadillo 1 2

Eastern Cottontail 10 3

Fox Squirrel 12

Gray Squirrel 27

Eastern Chipmunk 11

White-footed Mouse 1 17

Fulvous Harvest Mouse 5

Hispid Cotton Rat 1 23

Eastern Woodrat 5

Woodland Vole 1 2

Coyote 1 (plus tracks) 5

Raccoon Multiple Track Lines

Striped Skunk Multiple Track Lines 3

Bobcat One Track Line

White-tailed Deer 15 10

American Elk 33 21

Birds

Birds are the largest group of vertebrates in Oklahoma and they represented nearly 70% of the

vertebrate species that we documented. The results below are divided into two sections: Wintering

Season (based primarily upon data from two surveys in February 2015 and February 2016) and Breeding

Season (based primarily upon data collected during two series of point counts conducted in June 2015 and

late May 2016). Incidental bird observations were recorded during all other surveys and we examined

these observations during the November, March, and April surveys, when the annual fall and spring

migrations were occurring, to assess the presence of migrants between seasons. Most most of the birds

that were observed during the migration months were year-round residents, lingering winter residents or

early-arriving breeding species. All but four of the avian species that were observed during the fall and

spring months were recorded during the winter and/or summer months as well. The only species that

were detected only during the migration seasons were five species that we considered to be seasonal

migrants – two Blue-headed Vireos (Vireo solitarius), three Swainson's Thrushes (Catharus ustulatus), a

Nashville Warbler (Oreothlypis ruficapilla), three Orange-crowned Warblers (Oreothlypis celata) and

two Yellow Warblers (Setophaga petechia).

Cumulatively (2015 and 2016 surveys combined), 97 species of birds were detected on the

management area during our surveys. These included the five migrants listed above, 61 species that

occurred on the area during the breeding season (including year-round residents) and 31 species that were

present on the area only during the winter months. Seven of the species that we considered to be winter

residents on the WMA - Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), American Kestrel (Falco sparverius),

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus), Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum), Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella

magna), Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), and House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) - are

known to nest elsewhere in northeastern Oklahoma; however, we did not find any evidence to indicate

that they occurred on the WMA during their breeding seasons. The breeding-season birds that we

documented included 55 species detected at one or more point-count stops, plus six other species

observed incidentally during the summer months.

Wintering Bird Community

The wintering bird community on Cookson WMA was measured through a series of timed

searches that were conducted by teams of three or four observers each on 2, 3 and 4 February 2016.

During these surveys, the teams walked prescribed areas and drove WMA interior roads recording every

bird that they could identify by sight and/or sound. Forty-eight species of wintering birds were recorded

during this survey; please see Table 4 for the complete list including citations to scientific names). An

additional six species of wintering birds were observed incidentally during the November 2015 survey

and are listed as a supplement to the official winter bird survey below Table 5. For comparison, the

results of the 2015 winter bird survey (39 species) also are shown in Table 4. The 2016 winter bird

survey includes an unidentified shorebird (probably a Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)) that was

flushed from a grassy field on Pipe Springs Road while searching for LeConte's Sparrows. We are

confident that this was a shorebird, but the speed of the bird and the lighting prevented a positive

identification. By far the most abundantly encountered species in 2016 were the White-throated Sparrow

(809) and the Dark-eyed Junco (446) - both of which were encountered in flocks foraging in the

herbaceous vegetation along the WMA's roads. Other common species were the Song Sparrow, Northern

Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Fox Sparrow, Red-bellied Woodpecker

and White-breasted Nuthatch. Noteworthy observations, because of their rarity and/or secretive behavior,

were five Winter Wrens, five Hermit Thrushes, a single Brown Thrasher and five Swamp Sparrows. For

the second year in a row, we observed an unexpected flock of American Pipits foraging in the grassy

fields near the WMA entrance. Also for the second year in a row we observed an unexpected Golden

Eagle, which was confirmed with a photograph. Five avian Species of Greatest Conservation Need were

documented: Golden Eagle (a single individual observed at close-range soaring over the WMA), Bald

Eagle (two individual birds observed soaring over the WMA), American Woodcock (four birds flushed

from a wet glade during the November survey), Red-headed Woodpecker (27 birds found in woodland

habitats and forest edges at multiple locations throughout the WMA), and LeConte's Sparrow (two birds

flushed from dense grass in a field along Pipe Springs Road).

Comparing the results of 2015 and 2016, the relative abundances for most of the wintering birds

were similar between years. Slightly more species were observed in 2016 and this was probably the result

of increased search time. We had a sufficient number of observers in 2016 that we were able to split into

three teams on February 3rd and search the area more thoroughly. The most striking differences between

the two years were in the numbers of Red-headed Woodpeckers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and

American Robins. Each of these birds is considered to be somewhat eruptive, meaning that their winter

distributions change from year to year in response to changes in food availability or weather conditions.

In the case of the Red-headed Woodpeckers, birds often winter in areas with high abundances of acorns

and that was likely to be the case in 2016. American Robins often shift their distribution to track fruiting

trees such as Eastern Redcedar; the reduced number of robins in 2016 suggests a regionally reduced fruit

crop. Purple Finches also are an eruptive species and we saw a modest increase in 2016 that may reflect

an abundant seed crop by the ashes, Boxelders, and/or River Birches.

Table 5. Summary of Winter Bird Community on Cookson WMA (Based on 27.5 Hours of Timed

Searches in 2016 and 22.5 Hours in 2014/2015.)

Common Name # Seen/Heard # Seen/Heard

February 2016 Dec. 2014 & Feb. 2015

(27.5 hours) (22.5 hours)

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 3 0

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 17 15

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) 5 0

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 1 1

Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) 0 1

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) 3 2

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 9 5

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) 1 1

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 2 6

unid. Shorebird 1 0

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 0 1

Barred Owl (Strix varia) 1 0

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 27 3

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 25 29

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) 23 8

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 19 25

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 31 14

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) 5 7

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 3 1

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 21 15

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 17 13

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) 37 44

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 51 57

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 21 23

Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) 1 3

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 37 43

Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) 5 1

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) 1 0

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 8 0

Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 8 6

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 10 26

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 14 93

Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) 5 2

American Pipit (Anthus rubescens) 24 14

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 0 1

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 59 68

LeConte's Sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii) 2 0

Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 446 297

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) 16 4

Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 2 20

Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 4 0

Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) 27 12

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 61 39

Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) 4 1

Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 5 0

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) 3 0

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 809 226

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) 13 0

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 4 0

Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus) 13 3

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) 4 16

Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) 0 3

In addition to the birds that were recorded during the two winter bird surveys in February 2015 and

February 2016, we observed six species of birds during our November 2015 survey that were likely to be

wintering species on the WMA. These were:

American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) - four flushed from a wet glade

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) – two observed in fields

Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) - three flocks totaling 57 birds feeding on redcedar,

persimmon and greenbriar fruits

Eastern Towhee ((Pipilo erythrophthalmus) - one flushed from a thicket on Beaver Mt.

Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) - flock of 11 seen near headquarters

House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) - one seen and heard around the headquarters

Breeding Bird Community

We used road-based, five-minute point counts as our primary tool for assessing the relative

abundance and composition of the Cookson WMA breeding bird community. We identified and recorded

every bird that was seen or heard during a five-minute period at 43 locations on May 25 and 26, 2016.

The point count locations were placed along WMA roads and were spaced at intervals of 0.4 miles to

maximize the number of stops that could be made while minimizing the potential for double-recording

birds. We conducted the point counts between 6:10 am (approximately 25 minutes after first light) and

10:45 am. Because we did not begin the point counts until shortly after sunrise, therefore, we did not

detect any nocturnal birds such as Chuck-wills-widows, which appear to be common in forested habitats

on the WMA based upon the numbers that we heard during our evening amphibian surveys. We ended

our surveys between 10:30 am and 10:45 am because of declining bird activity as the ambient temperature

increased. We attempted to sample the different habitat types on the area in proportion to their

abundance; however, riparian habitats were slightly under-sampled because Bolin Hollow Road was the

only road that passed near this habitat type and woodland/glade habitat was under-sampled because they

occurred at only a few locations adjacent to roads.

The habitat surrounding most of the survey stops was deciduous forest with varying degrees of

canopy cover, understory vegetation density and dominant tree species composition. The breeding bird

community reflects this habitat condition in that nearly all of the bird species are typical for deciduous

forests. Eleven species of warblers, three species of vireos, both tanagers and all of the forest flycatchers

in northeastern Oklahoma were detected during the survey. In contrast, no grassland birds were detected

and only a few savannah/shrubland species were seen or heard (e.g. Yellow-breasted Chat, Orchard

Oriole, American Goldfinch, Blue Grosbeak, and Field Sparrow). The combined results of the 2016

breeding bird point counts are shown in Table 6. To provide a comparison, the results of the point counts

that were conducted in 2015 are shown in this table as well. Differences between the results of the two

years are not meant to imply any annual variation in population size of any species. The point count

locations between the two years were different, and there was a difference in the number of counts. In

2015, we were able to complete 53 point counts in two mornings; however, in 2016 we were able to

conduct only 43 because of a rainfall event during the first morning (we did not conduct point counts in

the rain) and because recent heavy rains had rendered some roads on the area temporarily inaccessible.

Through the point counts, we identified 51 species in 2016 and 48 species in 2015 that are likely to nest

on the area (Table 5). Additionally, we incidentally encountered four other species in 2016 and five

species in 2015 that are likely to nest on the WMA in small numbers. These incidental encounters

occurred along WMA roads between breeding bird point count stops or during timed searches for

amphibians and reptiles around ponds and in riparian areas.

We believe that point counts are a very effective technique for measuring the occurrence and

relative abundances of most songbirds, but they are less effective for detecting rare species. The relative

abundances and habitat associations for the common species on the WMA were very similar between

2016 and 2015. The only notable differences between years were in the detections of a few relatively rare

species that were recorded in only one year (e.g. American Redstart, Pine Warbler, Eastern Towhee, and

Orchard Oriole), but the point count results were consistent with the conclusion that these species have a

low relative abundance. Point counts work well for songbirds and other species that sing or call to make

themselves or the boundaries of their nesting territories known, but they tend to underestimate the relative

abundances of non-singing birds (e.g. Wild Turkeys and most raptors appear to be less common than they

actually are). Combining the results of both years, we documented 61 bird species during the summer

nesting season. It is likely that a few other species nest on Cookson WMA but were missed on our

surveys due to their rarity or secretiveness including Eastern Screech-Owl (Otus asio), Great Horned Owl

(Bubo virginianus), Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) , Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina),

Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor), and Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea).

Of the 61 species that were documented in the breeding bird community, four are considered to

be species of greatest conservation need in Oklahoma: Red-headed Woodpecker, Worm-eating Warbler,

Louisiana Waterthrush, and Kentucky Warbler. The Red-headed Woodpecker is an uncommon nesting

species, although it is a common wintering species in some years. During the summer months we found

this species only in open, oak-dominated woodlands around glades and on the ridge of Beaver Mountain

where the combination of drought, hypoxylon canker (a fungal disease of oaks) and fire had reduced

canopy cover and created open conditions with standing dead trees. Small numbers of Worm-eating

Warblers were found in mesic forest sites where there were tall, mature deciduous trees with an

understory of dogwoods, viburnums and hydrangeas. Louisiana Waterthrushes were found along all of

the streams on the WMA including Dry Creek, Elm Creek, and the streams flowing from Frank Lee

Spring and Hastings Hollow Spring. The Kentucky Warbler was the most common of the avian SGCN

on the area, and we found it at 13 of the 43 point-count locations in 2016. Kentucky Warblers were most

often found in mature, deciduous forest stands that had an abundance of understory shrubs, such as occur

in ravines, hollows, and the lower slopes of hills.

The most commonly detected breeding birds were the Red-eyed Vireo, Indigo Bunting, Tufted

Titmouse, Carolina Wren, and Summer Tanager each of which was detected at 70% or more of the point-

count stops. Each of these species is a forest generalist and occurred in comparable numbers in stands of

upland deciduous forest, riparian forest, mesic forest, and mixed oak/pine forest. Other forest generalists

included Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Wood Pewee, Great Crested

Flycatcher, Carolina Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black and White

Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, and Northern Cardinal. No species was restricted to the upland oak/hickory

forest habitat type, although this is the habitat in which the Eastern Wood Pewee and the Summer

Tanager were encountered most frequently. Species associated with clearings, glades, and open

woodlands were Mourning Dove, Red-headed Woodpecker, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Eastern Bluebird,

Yellow-breasted Chat, Blue Grosbeak, Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, and Orchard Oriole. These

species were generally uncommon on the WMA because the acreage of their preferred habitats is limited.

Only two Pine Warblers were heard on the point counts and, not surprisingly, both of these were heard in

mixed stands of Shortleaf Pine and oaks on ridge tops. Low-elevation riparian/mesic forest stands within

valleys, hollows, and the lower slopes of hills supported the majority of the Acadian Flycatchers, White-

eyed Vireos, Yellow-throated Vireos, Northern Parulas, Yellow-throated Warblers, Worm-eating

Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrushes, and Kentucky Warblers. We detected three Ovenbirds and a single

American Redstart; each of these birds was heard in mature mesic forest in Bolin Hollow.

Table 6. Summary of 5-minute Point Counts for Assessing Breeding Birds on Cookson WMA.

(Point counts were conducted at 43 locations in 2016 and at 53 locations in 2015.)

Common Name Number of Birds Number of Birds

Detected in 2016 Detected 2015

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 1 0

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 6 9

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) 1 0

Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) 0 1

Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) 1 4

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) 1 1

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1 1

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 8 6

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) 11 18

Barred Owl (Strix varia) 0 1

Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) 3 7

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archiochus colubris) 3 1

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 2 0

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 19 25

Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) 1 0

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 5 6

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) 3 4

Eastern Wood Pewee (Contopus virens) 36 28

Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) 12 9

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) 23 9

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) 1 1

White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) 13 14

Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 72 105

Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons) 2 2

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 6 12

Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) 0 1

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 7 5

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) 9 12

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 43 84

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 14 14

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 47 60

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 36 30

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 1 3

Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) 25 20

Black and White Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 13 3

Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) 5 6

Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) 2 0

American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) 1 0

Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivora) 3 3

Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) 4 2

Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus) 1 2

Kentucky Warbler (Geothlypis formosa) 16 16

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) 1 1

Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) 6 8

Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) 11 15

Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) 41 54

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 26 25

Blue Grosbeak (Guiraca caerulea) 6 8

Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 67 95

Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) 0 1

Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) 5 2

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) 1 1

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 4 11

Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius) 1 0

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) 9 9

Seen Incidentally in 2016

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 2 seen incidentally & small rookery

Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) 2 seen incidentally

Chuck-will’s Widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) 4 heard incidentally

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 2 seen incidentally

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2 seen incidentally at headquarters

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 4 seen incidentally at headquarters

Seen Incidentally in 2015

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) 2 seen incidentally

Chuck-wills-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) 3 heard incidentally

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 1 seen incidentally

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 1 seen incidentally on Dry Creek

Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) 1 heard incidentally

Invertebrates

We did not place an emphasis on invertebrate surveys at Cookson WMA; however, we

maintained an incidental list for the butterfly species that were encountered during our vertebrate surveys.

Thirty species were observed on the area and these are listed in Table 7. While the diversity of butterflies

is high, none of the species that we documented are species of greatest conservation need. We

documented several roadside skippers but could not confirm that any of them were Linda's Roadside

Skipper (Amblyscirtes linda).

Colby Farquhar identified many of the dragonflies and damselflies that we encountered during

our timed searches and a partial list is included below in Table 7. During the July survey, we were joined

by Brenda Smith, who is the state's leading expert on Odonates. She and Colby documented several

dragonfly species including nine individuals of the Ozark Emerald (Somatochlora ozarkensis), which is a

species of greatest conservation need and was recently petitioned for consideration for a federal listing

under the Endangered Species Act. They witnessed six males and three females displaying, foraging, and

ovipositing in the spring in Hastings Hollow on the south side of the WMA. They collected two voucher

specimens, which were the first confirmed records of Ozark Emeralds in Cherokee County and in the

Oklahoma portion of the Ozarks.

We placed minnow traps in Dry Creek and several ponds to document the crayfish species on the

area and these are included in Table 7 as well. In the WMA streams, the Ringed Crayfish (Orconectes

neglectus) appears to be the dominant crayfish species, but we found small numbers of the Western Plains

Crayfish (Orconectes causeyi) as well. In the ponds that we searched, the Western Plains Crayfish

appears to be the dominant species and was the only species that we documented.

Table 7. Butterfly, Odonate and Crayfish Species Observed Incidentally on Cookson WMA

Common Name / (Scientific Name)

Lepidoptera

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)

Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)

Checkered White (Pontia protodice)

Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea)

Giant Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)

Common Sulphur (Colias philodice)

Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)

Southern Dogface (Colias cesonia)

Little Yellow (Eurema lisa)

Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)

Banded Hairstreak (Satryium calanus)

Henry's Elfin (Callophrys henrici)

Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)

Eastern Tailed Blue (Everes comyntas)

Reakirt's Blue (Hemiargus isola)

Spring Azure (Celastrina neglecta)

Summer Azure (Celastrina ladon)

American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)

Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)

Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)

Goatweed Leafwing (Anaea andria)

Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)

Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)

American Painted Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)

Red Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)

Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)

Northern Pearly-eye (Enodia anthedon)

Gemmed Satyr (Cyllopsis gemma)

Carolina Satyr (Hermeuptychia sosybius)

Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela)

Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus ciarus)

Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades)

Southern Cloudywing(Thorybes bathyllus)

Scalloped Sootywing (Staphylus hayhurstii)

Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo)

Juvenal's Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis)

Funreal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)

Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae)

Comm. Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus communis)

S. Broken-dash Skipper (Wallengrenia otho)

Sachem Skipper (Atalopedes campestris)

Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan)

Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris)

Roadside Skipper species (Amblyscirtes sp.)

Odonata

Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata)

American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana)

Southern Spreadwing Damselfly (Lestes

australis)

Azure Bluet (Enallagma aspersum)

Fragile Forktail (Ischnura posita)

Dusky Dancer (Argia translata)

Green Darner (Anax junius)

Comet Darner (Anax longipes)

Interior Least Clubtail (Stylogomphus

sigmastylus)

Stillwater Clubtail (Arigomphus lentulus)

Ozark Emerald (Somatochlora ozarkensis)

Slender Baskettail (Epitheca costalis)

Common Whitetail (Plathemis subornata)

Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta)

Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa)

Blue-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum

ambiguum)

Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis)

Carolina Saddlebags (Tramea carolina)

Cambaridae

Western Plains Crayfish (Orconectes causeyi)

Ringed Crayfish (Orconectes neglectus)

Plants

To the best of our ability, we tried to document the plant species on Cookson Wildlife

Management Area. The list shown in Table 8 does not represent an exhaustive survey effort, but instead

it provides an indication of the more common plants on the area.

Table 8. Plant Species, Arranged by Family, Documented on Cookson WMA.

Herbaceous Plants

Aspleniaceae

Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)

Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium

trichomanes)

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

Northern Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)

Purple Cliffbrake Fern (Pellaea atropurpurea)

Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)

Bluntlobe Cliff Fern (Woodsia obtusa)

Dennstaedtiaceae

Western Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum)

Equisetaceae

Field Horsetail (Equisetum hyemale)

Amaryllidaceae

Yellow Star Grass (Hypoxis hirsuta)

Agavaceae

False Aloe (Manfreda virginica)

Soapweed Yucca (Yucca glauca)

Araceae

Green Dragon (Arisaema dracontium)

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)

Commelinaceae

Slender Day-Flower (Commelina erecta)

Woodland Spiderwort (Tradescantia ernestiana)

Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)

Iridaceae

Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium sp)

Liliaceae

Wild Onion (Allium canadense)

Pink Prairie Onion (Allium stellatum)

Eastern Wild Hyacinth (Camassia scilloides)

White Dogstooth Lilly (Erythronium albidum)

Yellow Trout Lilly (Erythronium rostratum)

False Garlic (Nothoscordum bivalve)

Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)

Saw Greenbriar (Smilax bona-nox)

Tapertip Wake Robin (Trillium viridescens)

Death Camas (Zigadenus nuttallii)

Poaceae

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Broomsedge Bluestem (Andropogon virginicus)

Broadleaf Woodoats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

Poverty Oatgrass (Dianthonia spicata)

Scribner’s Panicgrass (Dichanthelium

oligosanthes)

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

Thin Paspalum (Paspalum setaceum)

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Purpletop Tridens (Tridens flavus)

Acanthaceae

American Water-willow (Justica americana)

Smooth Wild Petunia (Ruellia humilis)

Limestone Wild Petunia (Ruellia strepens)

Apiaceae

Hairy Angelica (Angelica venenosa)

Hairyfruit Chervil (Chaerophyllum taintureri)

Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota)

Harbinger of Spring (Erigenia bulbosa)

Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)

Lace Bishopwed (Ptilimnium nuttallii)

Yellow Pimpernel (Taenidia integerrima)

Hedge Parsley (Torilis arvensis)

Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea)

Aristolochiaceae

Woolly Pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa)

Apocynaceae

Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia taernaemontana)

Prairie Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum)

Asclepiadaceae

Four-leaf Milkweed (Asclepias quadrifolia)

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

Green Milkweed (Asclepias viridis)

Climbing Milkvine (Matelea baldwyniana)

Asteraceae

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemesifolia)

Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida)

Parlin’s Pussytoes (Antennaria parlini)

Plantainleaf Pussytoes (Antennaria

plantaginifolia)

Western Daisy (Astranthium integrifolium)

Coreopsis Beggarticks (Bidens aristosa)

Prairie Plantain (Cacalia plantaginea)

Least Daisy (Chaetopappa asteroides)

Tall Thistle (Cirsium altissimum)

Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)

Blue Mist Flower (Conoclinium coelestinum)

Mare's Tail (Conyza canadensis)

Finger Coreopsis (Coreopsis palmate)

Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctorium)

Tall Coreopsis (Coreopsis triptera)

Clasping Coneflower (Dracopis amplexicaulis)

Pale Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pupurea)?

Elephant’s Foot (Elephantopus carolinianus)

American Burnweed (Erechtites hieraciifolia)

Annual Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron annuus)

Robin's Fleabane (Erigeron pulchellus)

Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus)

Late Thoroughwort (Eupatorium serotinum)

Spinytooth Gumweed (Grindelia lanceolata)

Bitter Sneezeweed (Helenium amarum)

Sawtooth Sunflower (Helianthus

grosseserratus)

Rough Sunflower (Helianthus hirsutus)

Stiff Sunflower (Helianthus pauciflorus)?

Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)

Ox-eye False Sunflower (Heliopsis

helianthoides)

Hawkweed species (Hieracium sp.)

Woolly-White (Hymenopappus scabiosaeus)

Wild Lettuce (Lactuca canadensis)

Woodland Lettuce (Lactuca floridana)

Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)

Roundleaf Ragwort (Packera obovata)

White-flower Leafcup (Polymnia canadensis)

False Dandelion (Pyrrhopappus carolinianus)

Grayhead Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba)

Cup Rosinweed (Silphium perfoliatum)

Downy Goldenrod (Solidago petiolaris)

Elmleaf Goldenrod (Solidago ulmifolia)

Late Purple Aster (Symphyotrichum patens)

Stiff Greenthread (Thelesperma filifolium)

Goatsbeard (Tragopogon pratensis)

Yellow Ironweed (Verbisina alternifolia)

Frostweed (Verbisina virginica)

Baldwin Ironweed (Vernonia baldwinii)

Berberidaceae

Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)

Boraginaceae

Beggars Lice (Hackelia virginiana)

Softhair Marbleseed (Onosmodium molle)

Brassicaceae

Smooth Rock Cress (Arabis laevigata)

Spring Bittercress (Cardamine bulbosa)

Cutleaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata)

Whitlow Draba (Draba cuneifolia)

Pepperweed species (Lepidium sp.)

Water Cress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum)

Cactaceae

Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa)

Cabombaceae

Water Shield (Brasenia schreberi)

Campanulaceae

American Bellflower (Campanula americana)

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Pale Spike Lobelia (Lobelia spicata)

Clasping Venus Looking-glass (Triodanis

perfoliata)

Capparaceae

Roughseed Clammyweed (Polanisia

dodecandra)

Caryophyllaceae

Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria)

Glade Sandwort (Minurtia patula)

Starry (Fringed) Catchfly (Silene stellata)

Fire Pink (Silene virginica)

Common Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Clusiaceae

St. Andrew's Cross (Hypericum hypericoides)

Shrubby St. Johnswort (Hypericum prolificum)

Spotted St. Johnswort (Hypericum punctatum)

Convolvulaceae

Wild Potato Vine (Ipomoea pandurata)

Crassulaceae

Pink Widow's Cross (Sedum pulchellum)

Fabaceae

Prairie Acacia (Acaciella angustissima)

Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis)

Longbract Wild Indigo (Baptisia bracteata)

Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciulata)

Butterfly Pea (Clitoria mariana)

Crown Vetch (Coronilla varia)

Illinois Bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis)

Tick Trefoil (Desmodium species)

Bush Clover (Lespedeza species)

Black Medic (Medicago lupulina)

Yellow Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis)

Nuttall's Sensitive Briar (Mimosa nuttallii)

Sampsons Snakeroot (Orbexilum pedunculatum)

Purple Prairie Clover (Petalostemon purpureum)

Slim-flowered Scurfpea (Psoralidium tenuiflora)

Broadleaf Snoutbean (Rhynchosia latifolia)

Wild Climbing Bean (Strophostyles helvola)

Goat's Rue (Tephrosia virginiana)

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

White Clover (Trifolium repens)

Carolina Wood Vetch (Vicia caroliniana)

Pygmyflower Vetch (Vicia minutiflora)

Smooth Vetch (Vicia sativa)

Fumariaceae

Pale Corydalis (Corydalis flavula)

Smallflower Fumewort (Corydalis micrantha)

Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

Gentianaceae

Squarestem Rose-Gentian (Sabatia angularis)

Prairie Rose-Gentian (Sabatia campestris)

Geraniaceae

Carolina Cranesbill (Geranium carolinianum)

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)

Hydrophyllaceae

Hairy Phacelia (Phacelia hirsuta)

Lamiaceae

Giant Hyssop (Agastache nepetoides)

Common Dittany (Cunila origanoides)

Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule)

Purple Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum)

Spotted Beebalm (Monarda bradburiana)

Wild Beebalm (Monarda fistulosa)

Beefsteak Plant (Perilla frutescens)

Self-Heal (Prunella vulgaris)

Narrowleaf Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum

tenuifolium)

Lyreleaf Sage (Salvia lyrata)

Eggleaf Skullcap (Scutellaria ovata)

Slenderleaf Betony (Stachys tenuifolia) ?

Woodland Germander (Teucrium canadense)

Lentibulariaceae

Humped Bladderwort (Utricularia gibba)

Lythraceae

Blue Waxweed (Cuphea viscosissima)

Malvaceae

Bush's Poppymallow (Callirhoe bushii)

Fringed Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe digitata)

Melastomataceae

Meadow Beauty (Rhexia mariana)

Menispermaceae

Carolina Coralbead (Cocculus carolinus)

Molluginaceae

Green Carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata)

Onagraceae

Tall Gaura (Gaura longiflora)

Bushy Water Primrose (Ludwigia alternifolia)

Cutleaf Evening Primrose (Oenothera laciniata)

Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa)

Stemless Evening Primrose (Oenothera triloba)

Oxalidaceae

Yellow Wood Sorrel (Oxalis stricta)

Violet Wood Sorrel (Oxalis violacea)

Papaveraceae

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

Passifloraceae

Purple Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)

Phytolaccaceae

Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)

Plantaginaceae

Largebracted Plantain (Plantago aristata)

Rugel’s Plantain (Plantago rugelii)

Dwarf Plantain (Plantago virginica)

Polemoniaceae

Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata)

Prairie Phlox (Phlox pilosa)

Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium reptans)

Polygonaceae

Pennsylvania Smartweed (Polygonum

pennsylvanicum)

Water Smartweed (Polygonum punctatum)

Pale Dock (Rumex altissimus)

Portulacaceae

Virginia Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)

Primulaceae

Seaside Brookweed (Samolus valerandi)

Ranunculaceae

Carolina Anemone (Anemone caroliniana)

Rue Anemone (Anemonella thalictroides)

Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Pale Clematis (Clematis versicolor)

Carolina Larkspur (Delphinium carolinianum)

Dwarf Larkspur (Delphinium tricorne)

False Rue Anenome (Enemion biternatum)

Early Buttercup (Ranunculus fascicularis)

Buttercup (Ranunculus species)

Purple Meadow-rue (Thalictrum dasycarpum)

Rosaceae

White Avens (Geum canadense)

Indian Physic (Porteranthus stipulatus)

Common Cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex)

Rubiaceae

Bedstraw (Galium species)

Prairie Bluet (Hedyotis nigricans)

Longleaf Bluet (Houstonia longifolia)

Tiny Bluet (Houstonia pusilla)

Saururaceae

Lizard’s Tail (Saururus cernuus)

Saxifragaceae

American Coralbell (Heuchera americana)

Scrophulariaceae

Clammy Hedgehyssop (Gratiola neglecta)

False Pimpernell (Lindernia dubia)

Canadian Toadflax (Nuttallanthus canadensis)

Canadian Lousewort (Pedicularis canadensis)

Smooth Penstemon (Penstemon digitalis)

White Wand Penstemon (Penstemon tubiflorus)

Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria)

Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Solanaceae

Carolina Nightshade (Solanum carolinense)

Silverleaf Nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium)

Urticaceae

Smallspike False Nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica)

Heartleaf Nettle (Urtica chamaedryoides)

Valerianaceae

Beaked Cornsalad (Valerianella radiata)

Verbenaceae

Rose Verbena (Glandularia canadensis)

Narrowleaf Vervain (Verbena simplex)

Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta)

White Vervain (Verbena urticifolia)

Violaceae

Field Pansy (Viola bicolor)

Birdsfoot Violet (Viola pedata)

Missouri Blue Violet (Viola sororia)

Three-lobed Violet (Viola triloba)

Woody Plants:

Pinaceae

Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata)

Cupressaceae

Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Aceraceae

Boxelder (Acer negundo)

Red Maple (Acer rubrum)

Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)

Anacardiacea

Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica)

Winged Sumac (Rhus copallina)

Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)

Aquifoliaceae

Deciduous Holly (Ilex decidua)

Betulaceae

River Birch (Betula nigra)

Hop Hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)

Bignoniaceae

Trumpetvine (Campsis radicans)

Southern Catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides)

Caprifoliaceae

Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera flava)

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

Buckbrush (Symphoricarpos occidentalis)

Rusty Blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum)

Celastraceae

Eastern Wahoo (Euonymus atropurpurea)

Cornaceaae

Roughleaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii)

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)

Silky Dogwood (Cornus obliqua)

Ebenaceae

Common Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)

Ericaceae

Farkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum)

Blue Ridge Blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum)

Deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum)

Fabaceae

Swamp False Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa)

Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)

Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus)

Fagaceae

Ozark Chinkapin (Castanea pumila)

White Oak (Quercus alba)

Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

Blackjack Oak (Quercus marilandica)

Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)

Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii)

Post Oak (Quercus stellata)

Black Oak (Quercus velutina)

Hydrangeaceae

Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)

Hoary Mock Orange (Philadelphus pubescens)

Juglandaceae

Mockernut Hickory (Carya alba)

Red Hickory (Carya ovalis)

Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)

Black Hickory (Carya texana)

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Lauraceae

Northern Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)

Moraceae

Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)

Nyssaceae

Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica)

Oleaceae

White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

Platanaceae

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalus)

Rhamnaceae

Shrub New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)

Carolina Buckthorn (Frangula caroliniana)

Rosaceae

Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)

Cockspur Hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galli)

Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana)

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)

Carolina Rose (Rosa carolina)

Southern Dewberry (Rubus trivialis)

Rubiaceae

Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus

occidentalis)

Salicaceae

Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)

Black Willow (Salix nigra)

Sapotaceae

Chittamwood (Sideroxylon (Bumelia)

lanuginosa)

Simaroubaceae

Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima)

Tiliaceae

American Basswood (Tilia americana)

Ulmaceae

Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata)

Winged Elm (Ulmus alata)

American Elm (Ulmus americana)

Verbenaceae

American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)

Vitaceae

Peppervine (Ampelopsis arborea)

Heartleaf Peppervine (Ampelopsis cordata)

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

Wild Grape (Vitis sp.)

CROSS TIMBERS WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

During the first segment of the project, we conducted biological surveys on the Cross Timbers

WMA to develop an inventory of vertebrate species with an emphasis on species of greatest conservation

need. The Cross Timbers WMA is approximately 8,200 acres in size and lies in western Love County,

Oklahoma approximately 8 miles north of the Red River and 14 miles west of Interstate 35 (Figure 1).

The area lies on sandy soil, much of which appears to be low, rolling stabilized dunes. Based upon the

soils and the condition of the landscape surrounding the wildlife management area, the region was

historically dominated by open oak woodlands. The area appears to be underlain with limestone, but this

bedrock is covered by deep sands that were wind-deposited from the Red River flood plain over many

millennia. As a result of many years of wind deposition, sand has completely covered the underlying clay

and rock such that this limestone has little to no influence over the plant community or habitats available

to wildlife. There are no rock outcrops or exposed cuts on the area. There are over a dozen man-made

ponds on the WMA, but there are no perennial streams. The intermittent streams and drainages on the

WMA drain toward the south (in the direction of the Red River) or toward the northeast toward Simon

Creek. Simon Creek is a perennial tributary to the Red River but its channel lies one to two miles east of

the eastern boundary of the WMA.

The two most common habitat types on Cross Timbers WMA are oak woodlands and non-native

grasslands. The oak woodlands are dominated by Post Oak (Quercus stellata), Blackjack Oak (Quercus

marilandica), Black Hickory (Carya texana) and Cedar Elm (Ulmus crassifolia), with Black Willow

(Salix nigra) and Pecan (Carya illinoensis) occurring in low drainages. Other woody components to the

woodland community are Chittamwood (Bumelia lanuginosa), Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata), Netleaf

Hackberry (Celtis reticulata), Winged Elm (Ulmus alata), American Elm (Ulmus americana), Texas

Hercules-Club (Zanthoxylum hirsutum), Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), Red Mulberry (Morus

rubra) Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa), Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), Texas (Ohio) Buckeye (Aesculus

glabra) , Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), and Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) were found in

small numbers within a few stands. Most woodland tracts have a diverse understory and we kept a

running list of some of the more common plants that we encountered: this information is shown in Table

9.

Oak woodland dominated the eastern and northern portions of the WMA (primarily east of

Stockton Road and north of Hull Road respectively). In the western portion of the WMA (primarily

along Cabin Road and to the west of Stockton Road), there were large tracts of grasslands. These were

dominated by Weeping Lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) and to a lesser extent Bermuda grass (Cynodon

dactylon), wire grass (Aristida species) and Windmill Grass (Chloris verticillata).

We conducted surveys during February, March, April, May, June, July, and September of 2014.

Each of these surveys occurred during a two or three-day period, but three single-day surveys were

conducted in May and June. In addition to these surveys, this report includes some data that were

collected outside of this grant during a pilot study in 2013. In 2013, we conducted surveys on Cross

Timbers WMA in February, April, May, and July. These data are included for completeness, but the

time and expenses associated with their collection were not charged to this grant. The primary project

personnel for the surveys were Curtis Tackett, Buck Ray, Mark Howery, Jena Donnell, Matt Fullerton,

Kelly Adams, Melynda Hickman, Marli Claytor, and Jeff Tibbits. We had additional help on individual

surveys by Rachel Bradley, Ricky Lehrter, Rori Buresch, Jennifer Drooby, Alex Rizzo, Jennifer Everson,

Amanda Thomas, Corey Jager, Stephanie Clark, Eric Kalen, Andrea Brenner, Brett Barteck, Alicia Hahn,

Nadine Varner, and Don Alm. We wish to especially acknowledge the assistance of the Central Region

staff that assisted us with this project and allowed us access to the WMA - Brandon Baker, Tom Wyatt,

and Jeff Pennington.

Figure 1. Map of Cross Timbers Wildlife Management Area

We used a handful of survey techniques during this project. The most commonly used technique

was the timed search in which observers walked through specific habitats for a predetermined length of

time (typically 45 to 90 minutes) and recorded every vertebrate that was seen or heard (in the case of

birds and anurans). This was a very effective technique for surveying birds but was only partially

successful for surveying the other terrestrial vertebrate groups. We used cover boards at five locations in

an attempt to draw to the surface reptiles and amphibians that would normally burrow under leaf litter or

the ground during the daylight hours. To assess the small mammal community, we used Sherman live

traps baited with chicken scratch and rolled oats to capture, record, and release rodents. We used hoop-

net turtle traps set in ponds to capture aquatic turtles and assess that community’s composition. During

the early summer we conducted a series of 5-minute point counts along the WMA roads to assess the

breeding bird community.

Each survey trip had a slightly different focus that targeted different species groups. The

February survey was focused primarily on wintering birds and we placed out 20 cover boards that were

made from 48" by 48" squares of plywood. We recorded birds during all of the remaining surveys, but

greater emphasis was placed on timed searches for amphibians and reptiles and we live-trapped small

mammals during the March, April, May, and July surveys. We conducted nocturnal searches for

amphibians and aquatic reptiles in March, April, May, and July with an emphasis on calling male frogs

and toads. During the June and July surveys we conducted a series of roadside, five-minute point counts

for breeding birds, and during the July and September surveys we drove portions of the roads on and near

the WMA after dark searching for basking reptiles.

Although we recorded all vertebrates that we observed or heard during our surveys, the surveys

were designed with a special emphasis on Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) as defined by

the Oklahoma Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. We identified 12 SGCN that we believed

were likely to occur on Cross Timbers WMA based upon the existing habitat. These were the Texas

Horned Lizard, Northern Scarlet Snake, Western Chicken Turtle, Swainson's Hawk, Northern Bobwhite,

Solitary Sandpiper, Red-headed Woodpecker, Bell's Vireo, Prothonotary Warbler, Kentucky Warbler,

LeConte's Sparrow and Harris's Sparrow. Of these, we detected eight species - all of them birds.

Amphibians and Reptiles

Based upon existing museum data, we suspected that as many as 14 species of amphibians and 41

species of reptiles might be present on Cross Timbers WMA. The potential amphibian community

included one species of salamander, Smallmouth Salamander (Ambystoma texanum), and thirteen species

of anurans. The potential reptile community included up to seven species of aquatic turtles, the Three-

toed and Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina triunguis and T. ornata), nine species of lizards and as

many as 23 species of snakes.

During the course of our surveys, we conducted 31.5 hours of timed-searches during daylight

hours, 7.25 hours of nocturnal timed-searches around wetlands, set aquatic turtle traps out for six nights at

five ponds and covered 37 miles in four one-hour night-time road searches. The results of those surveys

are summarized below (Table 1). We detected 8 or 9 of the 14 possible amphibian species and 16 of 41

possible reptile species. We could not reliably differentiate between the two species of closely-related

treefrogs by their calls.

Weather conditions affect the success of all biological surveys, but they are especially influential

during surveys for amphibians and reptiles because they directly affect their activity patterns. During all

seasons, dry weather reduces the activity of most amphibians and many of the small, fossorial lizards and

snakes. Cool weather in the spring can reduce the activity of larger lizards and snakes, while unusually

warm weather conditions during the summer will reduce activity for most species and may cause many

snakes to become more nocturnal. The winter and spring of 2014 were unusually dry and less than 35%

of the normal rainfall fell between January and May. This may have negatively affected the activity of

some early-spring breeding amphibians such as chorus frogs, toads and the Smallmouth Salamander

(Ambystoma texanum). Despite survey effort in March and April, we had limited success in locating early

season amphibians, although we were able to document Strecker's Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris streckeri) at

two small ponds. These Strecker’s Chorus Frogs were noteworthy in that they represented new county

records for Love County. In contrast to the spring, the summer rainfall (June and July) was above

average and we had no difficulty detecting summer-breeding species such as Great Plains Narrowmouth

Toad (Gastrophryne olivacea), Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor and Hyla chrysoscelis) and Blanchard's

Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi). Most anurans were detected during nocturnal surveys when we listened

for calling males or searched for animals around the margins of breeding ponds (Table 1). Although our

surveys failed to detect Smallmouth Salamander and Great Plains Toad (Anaxyrus cognatus), we believe

that both species are likely to occur on Cross Timbers WMA. Additional surveys will be needed to

document these spring-breeding amphibians.

Hoop-net traps proved to be an effective survey technique for documenting aquatic turtles and we

captured five Common Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentine) and 51 Red-eared Sliders (Trachemys

scripta elegans) in two trap nights of effort at each of two ponds (four trap nights total). Overall, the

turtle diversity that we documented was low and the absence of any perennial streams on the area was

probably a contributing factor. The existing habitats for aquatic turtles were somewhat isolated, man-

made ponds. Several of these ponds, especially the smaller ones, were not reliably perennial and went dry

during the regional drought of 2011 and 2012. If perennial streams flowed through Cross Timbers WMA,

it is likely that Ouachita Map Turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis), Eastern River Cooter (Pseudemys

concinna), Smooth Softshell (Apalone mutica), and Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera) would be more

common and more likely to have colonized ponds on the area. Additional search effort is needed for

these species as well as two other aquatic turtles, Mississippi Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum) and

Western Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia miaria) that have the potential to occur on the WMA.

We located two Ornate Box Turtles during our surveys but did not detect any Three-toed Box Turtles.

Box turtles in general appear to be rare in this area and we are not certain what the cause is for this.

One of the species that we had hoped to find on Cross Timbers WMA was the Texas Horned

Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum). Nearly half of our diurnal timed-searches were conducted in areas that

appeared to be suitable habitats for this species, but we were unable to locate any. We haven't fully

researched the history of the Cross Timbers WMA (former Kimball Ranch), but perhaps the historic

landscape was too forested to support Texas Horned Lizards or past land uses were not compatible with

healthy horned lizard populations and the ants on which they feed. The Prairie Racerunner

(Cnemidophorus sexlineatus viridis) is a species that commonly co-occurs with Texas Horned Lizards in

central and western Oklahoma. We found 22 racerunners during our timed search, but their populations

appear to be patchy on the WMA because all of these lizards were found in only two grassland sites.

Interestingly, we did not detect any Texas Spotted Whiptails (Cnemidophorus gularis) on the WMA.

This is another species that co-occurs with Texas Horned Lizards in portions of southern Oklahoma and is

another indication that local habitat conditions or historic conditions may not have been a suitable for

these grassland species as we assumed. Texas Spotted Whiptails are often found in rocky grasslands and

the deep, sandy soils on the WMA may not be suitable for them. The two most common lizards on Cross

Timbers WMA appear to be the Prairie Lizard (aka Fence Lizard) (Sceloporus consobrinus) and the

Brown Skink (Scincella lateralis). Despite the abundance of woodland habitat, we only found one Five-

lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) during our timed searches. The lack of rocky habitat and suitable cover

objects made it more difficult for us to find Five-lined Skinks and also may have rendered the WMA

unsuitable for Eastern Collared Lizards (Crotaphytus collaris) which are locally common elsewhere in the

state where rocky habitats exist. We suspect that the Southern Prairie Skink (Plestiodon septentrionalis)

occurs on the area, but this fossorial lizard is difficult to detect even during its peak period of activity in

the spring. Also, Western Slender Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus) is likely to be documented in the

future with additional spring season search effort.

One of the difficulties that we had in surveying Cross Timbers WMA is the scarcity of cover

objects under which reptiles and amphibians can seek shelter. We found very few rocks on the area and

none with a diameter greater than five inches. To compensate for this scarcity of cover objects, we placed

20 plywood cover boards on the area to try and lure reptiles and amphibians to use them; however, we

had limited success. The boards were used frequently by Brown Skinks, but the only other reptile that we

documented under the cover boards was a single Prairie Lizard. In addition to the Southern Prairie Skink

mentioned above, we suspect that there are as many as seven species of small, fossorial snakes that may

occur on Cross Timbers WMA (e.g. Ring-necked Snake (Diadophus punctatus), Texas Brown Snake

(Storeria dekayi), Variable Groundsnake (Sonora semiannulata) and Rough Earthsnake (Virginia

striatula)). The only small species of snake that we documented was the Flathead Snake (Tantilla

gracilis), which is a common and widespread species in central and eastern Oklahoma. Larger snake

species are often a challenge to locate because many of them occur at low densities and remain hidden in

burrows when they are not actively foraging (which they may do only a day or two every two weeks).

We documented only seven of the 15 larger species of snakes that we anticipated on the area; however,

most of those were documented multiple times which suggests that they are the most common snake

species on Cross Timbers WMA (e.g. Eastern Racer (Coluber constrictor), Black Ratsnake (Pantherophis

obsoletus), Plain-bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster) and Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus

horridus)). In addition to these species, we suspect that Eastern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon

platirhinos), Prairie Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster), Speckled Kingsnake (Lampropeltis holbrooki),

Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus) and Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi) also occur on the

WMA in small numbers. Nocturnal searches for snakes along roads were fairly effective on Cross

Timbers WMA, particularly on the paved roads and we documented Black Ratsnakes and all three

venomous species using this method.

Table 1. Summary of Amphibian and Reptile Detections on Cross Timbers WMA.

Common Name Diurnal Nocturnal Other

Timed Searches Timed Searches Techniques**

Dwarf American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus charlesmithi) 5 4

Woodhouse's Toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii) 1 1

Great Plains Narrowmouth (Gastrophryne olivacea) 3 6

Blanchard's Cricket Frog* (Acris blanchardii) 61 195

Strecker's Chorus Frog (Pseudacris streckeri) 5

Gray & Cope's Treefrog* (Hyla chrysoscelis & H. versicolor) 4 173

S. Leopard Frog* (Lithobates sphenocephala utricularia) 2 38

American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeiana) 2

Eastern Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpintina) 1 1 5

Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) 17 13 51

Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata) 2

Prairie (Fence) Lizard (Sceloporus consobrinus) 38 1

Six-lined Racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus) 22

Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) 1

Brown Skink (Scincella lateralis) 29 8

Eastern Racer (Coluber constrictor) 3

Black Ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus) 2 2

Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum) 3

Plain-bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster) 2 8

Western Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis proximus) 1 5

Flat-headed Snake (Tantilla gracilis) 2

Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) 1 1

Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) 2 4

Western Pygmy Rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius) 1

* These numbers do not include tadpoles or larval stages of amphibians, but do include recently

metamorphosed individuals

** Other Techniques were: aquatic turtle traps; cover boards; nocturnal road searches

Mammals

Based upon available museum records published in the book "Mammals of Oklahoma," we

anticipated that as many as 31 species of native mammals might be present on Cross Timbers WMA

including four species of bats, 13 species of rodents and six species of carnivores. We documented 20 to

22 species of native mammals (two species are suspect), plus feral pigs, on the WMA. These records

were obtained through 510 trap nights using Sherman live traps, and incidental observations made during

31.5 hours of diurnal and 7.25 hours of nocturnal timed-searches for other taxa and 54 cover board checks

(Table 2).

Sherman live traps were our primary method for detecting rodents and other small mammals. We

trapped and released 98 rodents in 510 trap nights for a trapping success of 19.2%. By far the two most

common rodents on the WMA were the White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and the Hispid

Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus). Despite the capture of 75 White-footed Mice, we did not capture a

single Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), which is a common species across much of Oklahoma.

We trapped one mouse that had an orange-tinted band of fur along each of its sides; we believe that this

mouse was a Texas Brush Mouse (Peromyscus attwateri) or a hybrid between a Texas Brush Mouse and a

White-footed Mouse. We found potential new county records for Woodland Vole (Microtus pinetorum)

(a single animal located under debris during a timed search), Hispid Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus

hispidus) (two individuals live-trapped in prairie remnants) and Fulvous Harvest Mouse

(Reithrodontomys fulvescens) (one individual live-trapped in a second-growth oak woodland). During

our timed-searches, we recorded the presence of mammal tracks as a way of detecting their presence. We

found tracks of most of the carnivore species that were expected to occur on the area including the

presence of Mink (Mustela vison) tracks at two pond sites. We observed four bats during our nocturnal

surveys.

Although we did not capture any of these bats, we suspect that these were one Silver-haired Bat

(Lasionycteris noctivagans) and three Eastern Red Bats (Lasiurus borealis) based upon their size,

coloration and the time of year. During the late summer, a survey trip was made specifically to mist-net

bats. Four bats were captured over ponds during three nights of netting - two Eastern Red Bats and two

Evening Bats (Nycticeius humeralis). Other common mammals on the area were Nine-banded Armadillo

(Dasypus novemcinctus), Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger), Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), Striped

Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) and Opossum (Didelphis virginiana). We documented most of the mammal

species that we suspected of occurring on the wildlife management area; however, we believe that Least

Shrew (Cryptotis parva), Elliot’s Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina hylophaga), and Plains Harvest Mouse

(Reithrodontomys montanus) may be documented with additional search effort.

Table 2. Summary of Mammals Detected on Cross Timbers WMA.

Common Name Diurnal Nocturnal Live Traps Cover Boards Nets

Searches Searches

Virginia Opossum 2 + Tracks 2

(Didelphis virginiana)

Eastern Red Bat 3 (suspected) 2

(Lasiurus borealis)

Silver-haired Bat 1 (suspected)

(Lasionycteris noctivagans)

Evening Bat 2

(Nycticeius humeralis)

Nine-banded Armadillo 3 4

(Dasypus novemcinctus)

Eastern Cottontail 26 11

(Sylvilagus floridanus)

Fox Squirrel 7

(Sciurus niger),

Plains Pocket Gopher Mounds

(Geomys bursarius)

Hispid Pocket Mouse 2

(Chaetodipus hispidus)

Fulvous Harvest Mouse 1

(Reithrodontomys fulvescens)

White-footed Mouse 6 75 10

(Peromyscus leucopus)

Texas Brush Mouse (or hybrid) 1

(Peromyscus attwateri)

Hispid Cotton Rat 7 1 16

(Sigmodon hispidus)

Eastern Woodrat 1 3

(Neotoma floridana)

Woodland Vole 1

(Microtus pinetorum)

Coyote Tracks

(Canis latrans)

Gray Fox Tracks

(Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

Raccoon Tracks 2

(Procyon lotor)

Mink Tracks

(Mustela vison)

Striped Skunk 4 + Tracks 3

(Mephitis mephitis)

Bobcat Tracks

(Felis rufus)

White-tailed Deer 14 + Tracks 22

(Odocoileus virginianus)

Feral Hog 9

(Sus scrofa)

Birds

Birds are the largest group of vertebrates in Oklahoma and represented more than 80% of the

vertebrates that we documented. The results below are divided into three sections: Wintering Season

(based upon February surveys); Spring Transition (based upon March, April, and May surveys), and

Breeding Season (based upon June and July surveys). Cumulatively, 130 species were detected on the

management area during the course of our surveys including 61 breeding species, 37 wintering species,

and 32 species that were only documented during the transitional period between winter and summer

when many species are migrating. Of these last 32 species, at least eight are potentially nesting on the

Cross Timbers WMA but were not documented in June or July surveys - Wood Duck (Aix sponsa), Great

Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), Barred Owl (Strix varia), Western Kingbird (Tyrranus verticalis),

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum), Black-and-White Warbler (Mniotilta varia), Prothonotary Warbler

(Protonotaria citrea) and Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). For example, we found a

singing male Prothonotary Warbler in riparian trees bordering a small pond and wetland during our May

survey; because this species normally returns to Oklahoma in early April and initiates nesting in late April

and early May, we suspect that this bird was a nesting summer resident.

The wintering bird community on Cross Timbers WMA was measured through a series of timed

searches that were conducted as part of the grant in February of 2014 and outside of the grant in February

of 2013. In these surveys, two teams of two to four birders walked prescribed areas and recorded all the

birds that were seen or heard in a specified time period. The results are presented side-by-side for an

inter-year comparison (Table 3). In total, 62 species of wintering birds were recorded during at least one

of the two surveys and 40 species were detected in both years. Noteworthy, because they are species of

greatest conservation need, were the Harris’s Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula), LeConte’s Sparrow

(Ammodramus leconteii), Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus), and Canvasback

(Aythya valisineria). Harris’s Sparrows were a commonly-encountered species in brushy and woodland

habitats. LeConte’s Sparrows were found in stands of native tallgrass and appear to be fairly common on

the area. LeConte’s Sparrow is a secretive species and the only effective way to detect them is to walk

through suitable habitat and watch for them as they are flushed from the grass. Red-headed Woodpeckers

were rare but found in open, mature oak woodlands. The Canvasbacks were probably transient birds that

used the shallow ponds on the WMA as foraging sites. The winter bird community is somewhat typical

of what is found elsewhere in Central Oklahoma, but we encountered greater numbers of Spotted

Towhees (Pipio maculatus), Fox Sparrows (Passerella iliaca), Field Sparrows (Spizella pusilla), Song

Sparrows (Melospiza melodia), Harris’s Sparrows, Hermit Thrushes (Catharus guttatus), and Brown

Thrashers than we expected to find. The February 2014 survey represents 17 hours of timed-searches by

a party of four observers. The February 2013 results area based upon 18 hours of timed-searches.

Table 3. Summary of Winter Bird Community on Cross Timbers WMA Based on Two Surveys.

Common Name # February 2014 # February 2013

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 1

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) 21

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 23 3

Gadwall (Anas strepera) 2 6

Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) 2

Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 7

Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) 9

Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) 2

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 8 32

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) 2

Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) 3

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) 1 4

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 5 4

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 4 3

Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 1

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 1

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 4 10

Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) 1 3

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 2

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 10 11

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) 4

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 6 7

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 6 5

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 1 1

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) 1

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 21 36

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 24 61

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) 22 42

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 11 17

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 13 14

Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) 3 5

Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) 3

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 8

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 18 18

Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) 4 1

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 81 288

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) 14 9

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) 6 2

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 138 107

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 14 13

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 91 73

Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) 25 20

Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythropthalmus) 2

Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 84

Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) 14 2

LeConte's Sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii) 5 1

Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 198 66

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) 15 74

Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) 6 16

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 44 18

Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) 1

Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) 4 1

Harris's Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) 49 41

White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) 2

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) 8 19

meadowlark species (most Eastern) 69 26

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) 14 12

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) 1

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 2 30

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 70

House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) 1 5

American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) 7 17

Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) 1

Spring Migration/Transition

The bird community during the prolonged spring season was assessed through a series of timed

searches in March, April and May. These surveys picked up a mix of year-round resident birds, late

winter visitors, early-arriving Neotropical migrants and species that are truly migrants through Oklahoma.

These numbers were based upon 22.5 hours of timed-searches on foot and approximately 2.5 hours of

counts made from vehicles along 28 miles of roadsides. In total, 120 species were identified during the

spring surveys. Only common names are provided in the table because of space concerns, but common

names follow the standard American Ornithologist Union taxonomy. The species shown in italics are

those that are present on the Cross Timbers WMA only during their spring and/or fall migrations.

Although 32 species were only observed during the spring transition months, our knowledge of the

breeding and wintering biology of these species suggests that only the 22 species shown in italics were

migrants and that the remaining ten species were rare wintering or nesting birds (e.g. Barred Owl (Strix

varia) and Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)).

Table 4. Birds Observed on Cross Timbers WMA during the Transition from the Wintering

Community to the Breeding Community (aka Spring Migration Period)

Common Name

Wild Turkey 14

Northern Bobwhite 51

Great Blue Heron 4

Great Egret 4

Snowy Egret 8

Green Heron 2

Canada Goose 2

Wood Duck 2

Mallard 2

Gadwall 34

Green-winged Teal 17

Blue-winged Teal 8

Redhead 1

Turkey Vulture 28

Black Vulture 7

Mississippi Kite 6

Sharp-shinned Hawk 1

Cooper's Hawk 1

Northern Harrier 1

Broad-winged Hawk 3

Red-shouldered Hawk 10

Red-tailed Hawk 7

Swainson's Hawk 17*

American Kestrel 2

Killdeer 4

Greater Yellowlegs 4

Lesser Yellowlegs 1

Solitary Sandpiper 1

Upland Sandpiper 3

Spotted Sandpiper 2

Baird's Sandpiper 19

White-rumped Sandpiper 11

Ring-billed Gull 15

Franklin's Gull 130

Mourning Dove 76

Yellow-billed Cuckoo 36

Greater Roadrunner 1

Great Horned Owl 2

Barred Owl 2

Chuck-wills-widow 11

Common Nighthawk 2

Chimney Swift 3

Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1

Belted Kingfisher 1

Red-headed Woodpecker 1

Red-bellied Woodpecker 22

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1

Downy Woodpecker 8

Northern Flicker 9

Pileated Woodpecker 2

Eastern Phoebe 19

Least Flycatcher 3

Great Crested Flycatcher 4

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 41

Western Kingbird 2

Bell's Vireo 11

White-eyed Vireo 29

Red-eyed Vireo 7

Warbling Vireo 2

Loggerhead Shrike 1

Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1

Barn Swallow 10

Cliff Swallow 16

Tree Swallow 3

Blue Jay 26

American Crow 11

Carolina Chickadee 40

Tufted Titmouse 77

White-breasted Nuthatch 1

Carolina Wren 57

Bewick's Wren 16

Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 67

Eastern Bluebird 31

American Robin 15

Swainson's Thrush 2

Hermit Thrush 2

Northern Mockingbird 35

Brown Thrasher 9

Gray Catbird 1

Cedar Waxwing 312

Orange-crowned Warbler 9

Nashville Warbler 1

Tennessee Warbler 1

Black-and-White Warbler 11

Prothonotary Warbler 1

Yellow Warbler 8

Yellow-rumped Warbler 4

Blackpoll 1

American Redstart 1

Yellow-breasted Chat 1

Summer Tanager 18

Northern Cardinal 226

Blue Grosbeak 5

Spotted Towhee 23

Indigo Bunting 22

Lazuli Bunting 1

Painted Bunting 57

Dickcissel 54

Grasshopper Sparrow 11

LeConte's Sparrow 1

Lark Sparrow 29

Savannah Sparrow 41

Vesper Sparrow 9

Dark-eyed Junco 11

Field Sparrow 66

Chipping Sparrow 57

Clay-colored Sparrow 29

Fox Sparrow 4

Song Sparrow 16

Lincoln's Sparrow 7

Harris's Sparrow 53

White-crowned Sparrow 9

White-throated Sparrow 4

Bobolink 23

Red-winged Blackbird 20

Eastern Meadowlark 38

Brown-headed Cowbird 14

Common Grackle 1

House Finch 3

American Goldfinch 4

* the Swainson’s Hawk data represent a migrating group; however, this species was present also during

the summer

Breeding Bird Community

We used road-based, five-minute point-counts as our primary tool for assessing the relative

abundance and composition of the Cross Timbers WMA breeding bird community. We identified and

recorded every bird that was seen or heard during a five-minute period at 41 locations. The point-count

locations were placed along existing county and WMA roads and were spaced at intervals of 0.4 to 0.5

miles to minimize the potential for double-recording birds. We conducted the point counts between

sunrise and 10:30 am each morning. Because we did not start until sunrise, we did not detect the Chuck-

wills-widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis) although it is a common woodland species on the WMA. We

ended our surveys at 10:30 because of declining bird activity as the morning hours progressed. Because

there was greater accessibility to the oak woodland (Cross Timbers woodland) habitat type on the WMA,

this habitat was over-sampled in proportion to its abundance on the WMA. Similarly, grassland habitat

was over-sampled in proportion to its abundance. Table 5 provides a summary of the combined data from

all 41 point-count stations. These stations were distributed across three general habitat types as follows:

grassland – 7 sites; early succession oak woodland or scrub – 10; mature oak woodland or forest – 24.

Our point-count data identified 55 species that are likely to be breeding on Cross Timbers WMA (Table

5). We encountered seven other species incidentally (not at point-count stations) that are likely to be

breeding on the WMA. We observed two White-winged Doves (Zenaida asiatica), one Yellow-throated

Warbler (Setophaga dominica), and one Green Heron (Butorides virescens) on the area in July while

traveling between point count stations, but they were not detected on any of our point counts. We also

heard and/or saw Chuck-wills-widows (Caprimulgus carolinensis), Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles

minor) and Eastern Screech Owl (Otus asio) during our nocturnal surveys for calling amphibians. Point

counts are a very effective technique for measuring the occurrence of songbirds, but are less effective for

detecting rare species. It is likely that other nesting species occur on the area that were missed due to

their rarity or secretiveness including the Wood Duck, Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl, and Prothonotary

Warbler as mentioned above. Early-nesting species such as the Black-and White Warbler are less likely

to be detected during our surveys because their vocal frequency declines rapidly after their nesting

activity has ended.

The most commonly detected breeding birds were the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

and Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris), which were found in nearly all of the sites with some woody cover.

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura), Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla), and Northern Bobwhite (Colinus

virginianus) were found in a wide range of habitat conditions from grassland to open oak woodland.

Common birds in the oak woodland sites were the Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus), Tufted

Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea), Summer Tanager (Piranga

rubra), and Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus). Common birds in grassland and shrubland

sites were Dickcissel (Spiza americana), Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus), Eastern Bluebird

(Sialia sialis), and Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos). Of special interest because of their status

as species of greatest conservation need were the Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii), Swainson's Hawk (Buteo

swainsonii), Painted Bunting, and Northern Bobwhite. Bell's Vireos were almost always found in

Chickasaw Plum thickets in grassland and shrubland habitats. The WMA appears to support one to three

pairs of Swainson's Hawks, which occur in the open grassland sites.

Table 5. Summary of 41 Breeding Season, 5-minute Point-Counts on the Cross Timbers WMA

Common Name Number of Birds Detected

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) 6

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) 30

Great Egret (Ardea alba) 1

Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) 2

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) 4

Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygnus autumnalis) 2

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 7

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) 2

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) 10

Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) 1

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) 2

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1

Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsonii) 1

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) 2

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 34

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) 33

Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) 1

Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) 1

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archiochus colubris) 1

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 1

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 11

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 10

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) 1

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 3

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) 6

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) 13

Purple Martin (Progne subis) 5

N. Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) 7

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 2

Cliff Swallow (Perochelidon pyrrhonota) 7

Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii) 5

White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) 10

Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 6

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 19

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 3

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) 13

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 37

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 41

Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) 8

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) 26

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) 13

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) 18

Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) 3

Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) 21

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 117

Blue Grosbeak (Guiraca caerulea) 10

Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) 12

Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) 74

Dickcissel (Spiza americana) 28

Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) 2

Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus) 11

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) 31

Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) 8

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 18

Green Heron (Butorides virescens) 1 seen incidentally

White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) 2 seen incidentally

Eastern Screech Owl (Otus asio) 1 heard incidentally

Chuck-wills-widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis) 11 heard incidentally

Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) 2 heard incidentally

Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica) 1 seen incidentally

Invertebrates and Plants

We did not place an emphasis on invertebrate surveys on the Cross Timbers WMA because the

Arogos Skipper (Atrytone arogos) is the only invertebrate species of greatest conservation need with the

potential to occur on the area. The Arogos Skipper is associated with tallgrass prairie habitat and uses

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) as the forage species for its larvae. While Big Bluestem is present

on Cross Timbers WMA, it occurs in small prairie patches and as an understory in open oak woodlands.

All of the large tracts of grassland on the WMA are dominated by exotic grasses and not suitable as

Arogos Skipper habitat; therefore, we did not conduct surveys for this specific species. We did, however,

maintain an incidental list for butterfly species that we encountered during our vertebrate surveys.

Thirty-one species were observed on the area and these are listed in Table 6.

Table 6. Butterfly Species Observed Incidentally on Cross Timbers WMA

Common Name Common Name

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

Checkered White (Pontia protodice)

Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea)

Giant Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)

Orange (Alfalfa) Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)

Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)

Little Yellow (Eurema lisa)

Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)

Eastern Tailed Blue (Everes comyntas)

Reakirt's Blue (Hemiargus isola)

Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Goatweed Leafwing (Anaea andria)

Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)

Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)

American Painted Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)

Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanilla)

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)

Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)

Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)

Common Wood Nymph (Cercyonis pegala)

Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela)

Cloudywing sp. (Thorybes sp.)

Hoary Edge (Achalarus lyciades)

Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)

Com. Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus communis)

Sachem Skipper (Atalopedes campestris)

Plants

To the best of our ability, we tried to document the plant species on Cross Timbers Wildlife

Management Area. The list shown in Table 7 is not a complete list but provides an indication of some of

the more common plants on the area.

Table 7. Plant Species Documented on Cross Timbers WMA.

Herbaceous Plants

Aspleniaceae

Blunt-lobbed Cliff Fern (Woodsia obtusa)

Commelinaceae

Slender Day-Flower (Commelina erecta)

Prairie Spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis)

Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)

Iridaceae

Prairie Lilly (Nemastylis geminiflora)

Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium sp)

Liliaceae

Wild Onion (Allium canadense)

False Garlic (Nothoscordum bivalve)

White Dogstooth Lilly (Erythronium albidum)

Smilacaceae

Greenbriar (Smilax bona-nox)

Agavaceae

Soapweed Yucca (Yucca glauca)

Poaceae

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Bushy Bluestem (Andropogon glomeratus)

Purple Threeawn Grass (Aristida purpurea)

Silver Bluestem (Bothriochloa laguroides)

Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)

Broadleaf Woodoats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

Rattail Grass (Coelorachis cylindrica)

Canada Wildrye (Elymus canadensis)

Fall Witchgrass (Leptoloma cognatum)

Scribner’s Panicgrass (Panicum oligosanthes)

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Purpletop Greasegrass (Tridens flavus)

Acanthaceae

Smooth Wild Petunia (Ruellia humilis)

Amaranthaceae

Slender Snake-Cotton (Froelichia gracilis)

Apiaceae

American Wild Carrot (Daucus pusillus)

Apocyanaceae

Fringed Blue-Star (Amsonia ciliata)

Prairie Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum)

Aristolochiaceae

Woolly Pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa)

Asclepiadaceae

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Green Milkweed (Asclepias viridis)

Climbing Milkweed (Matelea cynanchoides)

Asteraceae

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Western Ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya)

Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida)

Lazy Daisy (Aphanostephus skirrhobasis)

Greeneyes (Berlandiera lyrata)

Least Daisy (Chaetopappa asteroides)

Soft Golden Aster (Chrysopsis pilosa)

Mare's Tail (Conyza canadensis)

Largeflower Coreopsis (Coreopsis grandiflora)

Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctorium)

Prairie Purple Coneflower (Echinacea

angustifolia)

Engelmann's Daisy (Engelmannia pinnatifida)

Prairie Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus)

Summer Gaillardia (Gaillardia aestivalis)

Rose-ring Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella)

Spanish Gold Gumweed (Grindelia papposa)

Bitter Sneezeweed (Helenium amarum)

Prairie Sunflower (Helianthus petiolaris)

Woolly-White (Hymenopappus scabiosaeus)

Wild Lettuce (Lactuca canadensis)

Dotted Blazing Star (Liatris punctata)

Skeletonweed (Lygodesmia sp.)

Sweetscent (Pluchea odorata)

False Dandelion (Pyrrhopappus sp.)

Upright Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida

columnifera)

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Drummond’s Aster (Symphyotrichum

drummondii)

Fineleaf Yellow Daisy (Tetraneuris linearifolia)

Greenthread (Thelesperma filifolium)

Winged Crownbeard (Verbisina helianthoides)

Golden Crownbeard (Verbisina encelioides)

Baldwin Ironweed (Vernonia baldwinii)

Sleepy Daisy (Xanthisma texanum)

Boraginaceae

Pasture Heliotrope (Heliotropium tenellum)

Narrowleaf Puccoon (Lithospermum incisum)

Cactaceae

Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa)

Campanulaceae

Venus Looking-glass (Triodanis sp)

Caryophyllaceae

Texas Sandwort (Arenaria stricta)

Convolvulaceae

Texas Bindweed (Convolvulus equitans)

Cucurbitaceae

Buffalo Gourd (Cucurbitia foetidissima)

Euphorbiaceae

Bull Nettle (Cnidoscolus texanus)

Woolly Croton (Croton capitatus)

Tropical Croton (Croton glandulosus)

Texas Croton (Croton texensis)

Queen's Delight (Stillingia sylvatica)

Nettleleaf Noseburn (Tragia sp)

Fabaceae

Prairie Acacia (Acacia angustissima)

Hog Peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata)

Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)

Largebracted False Indigo (Baptisia leucophaea)

Showy Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciulata)

Butterfly Pea (Centrosema virginianum)

Rattlebox (Crotalaria sagittalis)

Black Dalea (Dalea frutescens)

Illinois Bundleflower (Desmanthus ilinoensis)

Tick Trefoil (Desmodium marilandicum)

Scarlet Indigo (Indigofera miniata)

Roundhead Bush Clover (Lespedeza capitata)

Catclaw Sensitive Briar (Mimosa nuttallii)

Yellow Neptune (Neptunia lutea)

Purple Prairie Clover (Petalostemon purpureum)

White Prairie Clover (Petalostemon candidum)

Slim-flowered Scurfpea (Psoralidium tenuiflora)

Broadleaf Snoutbean (Rhynchosia latifolia)

Bladderpod (Sesbania vesicaria)

Wild Climbing Bean (Strophostyles sp)

Goat's Rue (Tephrosia virginiana)

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

Smooth Vetch (Vicia sativa)

Gentianaceae

Mountain Pink (Centaurium beyrichii)

Prairie Rose-Gentian (Sabatia campestris)

Geraniaceae

Carolina Cranesbill (Geranium carolinianum)

Krameriaceae

Trailing Ratany (Krameria lanceolata)

Lamiaceae

Lemon Beebalm (Monarda citriodora)

Azure Sage (Salvia azurea)

Woodland Germander (Teucrium canadense)

Linaceae

Meadow Flax (Linum pretense)

Stiffstem Flax (Linum rigidum)

Grooved Flax (Linum sulcatum)

Loranthaceae

Mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum)

Malvaceae

Pink Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe alcaeoides)

Rose Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata)

Menispermaceae

Carolina Snailseed (Cocculus carolinus)

Molluginaceae

Green Carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata)

Onagraceae

Tall Gaura (Gaura longiflora)

Woolly Gaura (Gaura villosa)

False Gaura (Stenosiphon linifolius)

Water Primrose (Ludwigia repens)

Cutleaf Evening Primrose (Oenothera laciniata)

Four-point Evening Primrose (Oenothera

rhobipetala)

Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa)

Half-shrub Evening Primrose (Calylophus sp.)

Oxalidaceae

Yellow Wood Sorrel (Oxalis stricta)

Violet Wood Sorrel (Oxalis violacea)

Pappaveraceae

Prickly Poppy (Argemone polyanthemos)

Phytolaccaceae

Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)

Plantaginaceae

Woolly Plantain (Plantago patagonica)

Redseed Plantain (Plantago rhodosperma)

Polygalaceae

White Milkwort (Polygala alba)

Pink Milkwort (Polygala incarnata)

Polygonaceae

Annual Buckwheat (Eriogonum annuum)

Pale Dock (Rumex altissimus)

Portulacaceae

Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica)

Ranunculaceae

Carolina Anemone (Anemone caroliniana)

Carolina Larkspur (Delphinium carolinianum)

Rubiaceae

Rough Buttonweed (Diodia teres)

Bluet (Hedyotis nigricans)

Scrophulariaceae

Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea)

Canada Toadflax (Nuttallanthus canadensis)

Loose-flowered Penstemon (Penstemon

laxiflorus)

Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Solanaceae

Indian Datura (Datura innoxia)

Ground Cherry (Physalis sp)

Carolina Nightshade (Solanum carolinense)

Buffalo Bur (Solanum cornutum)

Silverleaf Nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium)

Verbenaceae

Dakota Verbena (Glandularia bipinnatifida)

Slender Vervain (Verbena halei)

Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)

White Vervain (Verbena urticifolia)

Violaceae

Field Pansy (Viola bicolor)

Missouri Blue Violet (Viola sororia)

Zygophyllaceae

Goathead Puncture Vine (Tribulus terrestris)

Woody Plants:

Cupressaceae

Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Anacardiaceae

Winged Sumac (Rhus copallina)

Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)

Aquifoliaceae

Deciduous Holly (Ilex decidua)

Bignoniaceae

Trumpetvine (Campsis radicans)

Caprifoliaceae

Buckbrush (Symphoricarpos occidentalis)

Rusty Blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum)

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

Cornaceae

Roughleaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii)

Ebenaceae

Common Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)

Fabaceae

Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)

False Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa)

Fagaceae

Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)

Blackjack Oak (Quercus marilandica)

Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii)

Post Oak (Quercus stellata)

Hippocastanaceae

Texas (Ohio) Buckeye (Aesculus glabra)

Juglandaceae

Pecan (Carya illinoensis)

Black Hickory (Carya texana)

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Moraceae

Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)

Platanaceae

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalus)

Rhamnaceae

Carolina Buckthorn (Rhamnus caroliniana)

Rosaceae

Green Hawthorn (Crataegus viridis)

Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana)

Oklahoma Plum (Prunus gracilis)

Chickasaw (Sand) Plum (Prunus angustifolia)

Southern Dewberry (Rubus trivialis)

Rutaceae

Texas Hercules Club (Zanthoxylum hirsutum)

Salicaceae

Plains Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)

Black Willow (Salix nigra)

Sapotaceae

Chittamwood (Bumelia lanuginosa)

Ulmaceae

Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata)

Netleaf Hackberry (Celtis reticulata)

Winged Elm (Ulmus alata)

American Elm (Ulmus americana)

Cedar Elm (Ulmus crassifolia)

Verbenaceae

American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)

Vitaceae

Peppervine (Ampelopsis arborea)

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

Wild Grape (Vitis sp.)